MADISON, Wis. — In a recent development that has added fuel to an already highly charged state Supreme Court election in Wisconsin, billionaire Elon Musk has announced a $1 million award to a voter from Green Bay. This news follows days leading up to an election that has shattered spending records and is seen by many as a measure of Musk’s influence and the early days of President Donald Trump’s administration.
Musk made the announcement on Wednesday night through his social media network, X. The payout mirrors a previous lottery conducted by Musk’s political action committee (PAC) in Wisconsin and other swing states during last year’s presidential election.
This Tuesday’s election is set to fill a vacancy left by a retiring liberal justice on Wisconsin’s top court. The outcome will decide if the court maintains its 4-3 liberal majority or shifts to a conservative dominance. The contest, regarded as a symbol of larger national political battles, has seen both Trump and Musk throwing their support behind Brad Schimel, the Republican-affiliated candidate in the officially nonpartisan race.
In response, the campaign backing Susan Crawford, the Democratic-supported contender, denounced Musk’s $1 million award as a corrupt attempt to sway judicial proceedings, pointing out that Tesla, Musk’s electric vehicle company, has pending litigation in Wisconsin that could reach the Supreme Court.
“It’s corrupt, it’s extreme, and it’s disgraceful to our state and judiciary,” remarked Derrick Honeyman, a spokesperson for Crawford’s campaign.
As of yet, no legal actions have been initiated against Musk regarding these payments, although there are only five days until the Supreme Court election.
Jay Heck, who heads Common Cause in Wisconsin, labeled the financial inducement as a last-minute tactic aimed at skewing the election’s outcome. “Wisconsinites will have to wait and see if this is deemed legitimate, but this isn’t how our Supreme Court elections should be determined,” he warned. “The focus should be on judicial impartiality and temperament, not enormous sums of money for political purposes.”
Musk’s PAC, America First, had previously pledged $100 to voters who backed a petition against “activist judges” without initially mentioning the $1 million award, which Musk revealed would follow later.
It remains unclear who selected the $1 million recipient or the method used to do so.
Similar strategies were employed by Musk’s PAC during the presidential race last year, offering daily $1 million payments to signatories of a petition supporting constitutional amendments in Wisconsin and other crucial states.
It’s important to note that Wisconsin law considers it a felony to offer inducements to voters for casting a ballot or refraining from doing so.
The petition itself is crafted to resonate with Trump’s stance against judges he regards as overly activist, particularly as his administration grapples with multiple legal challenges stemming from executive actions and Musk’s governmental efficiency initiatives.
Last year, a lawsuit in Philadelphia sought to block the payments under state laws but was overturned when a judge dismissed the lottery allegations, allowing the practice to continue until Election Day.
Musk’s backing for Schimel has been substantial, with America PAC and another Musk-supported group, Building for America’s Future, spending over $17 million to campaign for him, as indicated by the Brennan Center for Justice. Additionally, Musk has contributed $3 million to the Wisconsin Republican Party, which can be funneled into the Supreme Court race or directly support Schimel.
Overall, spending for this election has exceeded $81 million, surpassing the previous U.S. record of $51 million for a judicial race, set in Wisconsin just two years ago.