The Democratic attorney general of Wisconsin has launched legal action in a bid to stop Elon Musk handing $1-million checks to what he says are “spokesmen” for a petition against “activist” judges, ahead of a fiercely contested Supreme Court election in the state.
Newsweek contacted Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, and Musk via the Tesla and SpaceX press offices, for comment by email on Saturday outside of regular office hours.
Why It Matters
Liberal justices currently have a 4-3 advantage on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, but one of them is due to retire this year putting control up for grabs in a highly competitive election.
Wisconsin is a key swing state, which narrowly backed President Donald Trump in 2024 after backing Joe Biden by less than 1 percentage point in 2020. The court has substantial influence over issues such as abortion in Wisconsin, along with voting rules that could impact the 2028 presidential election.
What To Know
On Friday, Musk posted on his X, formerly Twitter, website that he would give $1 million to two Wisconsin voters in person on Sunday, two days before the Wisconsin Supreme Court election is due to take place.
He wrote: “I will also personally hand over two checks for a million dollars each in appreciation for you taking the time to vote. This is super important.”
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/GETTY
However, Musk later deleted this post and clarified that the checks would be given to “2 people to be spokesmen” for a petition he organized “rejecting the actions of activist judges who impose their own views.”
Musk has also pledged to give $100 to any registered Wisconsin voter who signs his petition or forwards it on to someone meeting this criteria who does.
Musk’s financial offer didn’t specifically mention conservative Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel, but in January he wrote it is “very important to vote Republican for the Wisconsin Supreme Court to prevent voting fraud.”
Schimel is running against Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, who has Democratic Party backing.
In a post on X, Kaul said he would seek a court order to prevent Musk’s award of 1 million dollars for each of two Wisconsin citizens from going ahead.
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin described Musk’s initial plan to give a million dollars each to two people who voted in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election as a “blatant felony,” arguing it violated federal law against paying Americans to cast ballots or register to vote.
What People Are Saying
In his updated X post Elon Musk wrote: “On Sunday night, I will give a talk in Wisconsin. To clarify a previous post, entrance is limited to those who have signed the petition in opposition to activist judges.
“I will also hand over checks for a million dollars to 2 people to be spokesmen for the petition.”
On Sunday night, I will give a talk in Wisconsin.
To clarify a previous post, entrance is limited to those who have signed the petition in opposition to activist judges.
I will also hand over checks for a million dollars to 2 people to be spokesmen for the petition.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 28, 2025
In his statement, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said: “The Wisconsin Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that elections in Wisconsin are safe, secure, free, and fair.
“We are aware of the offer recently posted by Elon Musk to award a million dollars to two people at an event in Wisconsin this weekend. Based on our understanding of applicable Wisconsin law, we intend to take legal action today [March 28] to seek a court order to stop this from happening.”
Derrick Honeyman, spokesperson for Susan Crawford’s campaign, told Newsweek: “We’ve always known Brad Schimel is a bad candidate—he wants to take Wisconsin back to 1849 with an extreme abortion ban.
“But it turns out that Schimel is such a bad candidate that Elon Musk will spend whatever it takes to prop up Schimel’s failing campaign in a corrupt attempt to buy influence on the Supreme Court for his company’s lawsuit. It’s corrupt, it’s extreme, and it’s disgraceful to our state and judiciary. Wisconsinites should vote for the fair and common-sense candidate on Tuesday, Judge Susan Crawford.”
What Happens Next
The case against Musk’s payments could potentially end up before the same Wisconsin Supreme Court whose election it allegedly concerns.
