Elon Musk Faces Legal Scrutiny Over Voting Incentives \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Elon Musk is under legal fire after offering $1 million to Wisconsin voters, raising accusations of election bribery. His efforts to support conservative judge Brad Schimel have intensified scrutiny of outside influence in the high-stakes race. State officials and watchdogs are calling for investigations into Musk’s unprecedented role.
Elon Musk Wisconsin Election Controversy Quick Looks:
- Musk promised $1 million checks to voters
- State law prohibits payments in exchange for voting
- Wisconsin AG filed a lawsuit to block the payments
- Musk revised his offer after backlash, but concerns remain
- Watchdog groups, legal experts, and state officials criticize the move
- Similar tactics used by Musk during 2024 presidential election
- Over $81 million spent in this record-setting judicial race
- Outcome will impact abortion rights, redistricting, and more
Deep Look
Elon Musk’s political activism took a controversial turn this week as his unprecedented financial involvement in Wisconsin’s hotly contested Supreme Court race collided with state election laws. Musk, known for his political influence and wealth, announced plans to give $1 million checks to two voters “in appreciation for voting” — a move that prompted immediate legal action and widespread condemnation.
On Thursday night, Musk posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he would attend a Sunday rally in Wisconsin and personally deliver the million-dollar checks to two individuals who had already cast their ballots. The post, framed as a reward for civic participation, set off a legal and political firestorm.
Wisconsin law explicitly prohibits offering anything of value to induce someone to vote. Within hours, complaints flooded in, and on Friday, Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul filed an emergency injunction in circuit court to block Musk from following through on the payments. Kaul described the offer as a “blatant attempt to violate” the state’s anti-bribery laws.
Amid mounting pressure, Musk deleted the original post and issued a revised version. In it, he clarified that the rally would be limited to those who signed a petition opposing “activist judges” and said the million-dollar payments would go to two individuals serving as spokespeople for the petition — not directly for voting.
But legal experts say the damage may already be done. “You cannot pay people to vote or not to vote,” said Richard Painter, former White House ethics chief under George W. Bush. “His running these lotteries based on whether people vote or not — it’s illegal.” While Musk’s revised post “technically complies,” Painter warned that the initial offer likely violated the law.
Bryna Godar, an election law attorney at the University of Wisconsin Law School, noted that the offer’s mere existence during an active voting period could already constitute a legal breach. “Deleting his post and changing the terms might mitigate the circumstances, but it does not necessarily resolve the legal issue,” she said.
Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler was even more direct: “Elon Musk committed a crime the moment he offered million-dollar checks ‘in appreciation for’ voting, and deleting evidence of that crime changes nothing.”
This is not Musk’s first foray into controversial election tactics. During the 2024 presidential election, his PAC — America First — offered similar financial incentives to voters in battleground states, including daily $1 million prizes to petition signers. A lawsuit in Pennsylvania aimed to block that effort, but a judge allowed it to proceed, ruling that prosecutors hadn’t proven it was an illegal lottery.
Musk’s PAC, along with another affiliated group, Building for America’s Future, has spent more than $20 million to support conservative candidate Judge Brad Schimel in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. Schimel, backed by former President Donald Trump, faces liberal Dane County Judge Susan Crawford in a race that could shift the ideological balance of the court.
Currently, liberals hold a 4–3 majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The outcome of Tuesday’s election could impact key national issues, including abortion rights, congressional redistricting, and voting regulations — all of which may reach the court in the coming years. With Musk’s financial backing and Trump’s endorsement, Schimel has become a symbol of broader national political battles being waged on local judicial turf.
Musk has also donated $3 million directly to the Wisconsin Republican Party, money that could be funneled to Schimel’s campaign. The massive influx of cash has pushed spending in this race to over $81 million — making it the most expensive judicial election in U.S. history. That figure easily surpasses the previous $51 million record, set just two years ago for another Wisconsin Supreme Court seat.
Good government advocates have slammed the scale and nature of Musk’s involvement. “It’s obscene and unprecedented,” said Jay Heck, executive director of Common Cause Wisconsin. “This is to influence less than four million eligible voters, of which only 25-30% will turn out because this is a spring, low-turnout election.”
Adding another layer of complexity, Musk’s electric car company, Tesla, recently filed a lawsuit against Wisconsin, seeking to open direct-to-consumer dealerships in the state. That case could eventually land before the very court he’s now trying to reshape, raising conflict-of-interest concerns.
Observers say the controversy isn’t just about Musk’s behavior — it’s about the future of democracy and election integrity. “We are seeing the erosion of the guardrails around judicial independence and campaign conduct,” said Rick Hasen, an election law scholar at UCLA. “Whether it’s through financial pressure, political messaging, or outright legal gray zones, this case shows how vulnerable our electoral processes are to manipulation.”
As the Wisconsin Supreme Court race reaches its final days, Musk’s involvement has transformed what might have been a low-turnout state contest into a national spectacle. With legal action pending, the state’s highest court could soon be asked to weigh in on the legality of the tech mogul’s actions — even as voters decide who will sit on that very bench.
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