Billionaire Elon Musk distributed $1 million (£770,000) checks to voters in Wisconsin following the state Supreme Court’s decision not to interfere.
Earlier this week, Musk announced the prize prior to Wisconsin’s closely contested Supreme Court election scheduled for Tuesday.
Josh Kaul, Wisconsin’s Attorney General from the Democratic party, filed a lawsuit aimed at halting the giveaway, contending that Musk was breaching a state statute prohibiting presents offered in exchange for votes.
The competition, which might shift the control of the state’s highest court to the Republican Party, has turned into a critical juncture and the priciest judicial election ever recorded in U.S. history.
At a rally on Sunday evening, Musk stated, “We simply want judges to remain impartial,” before presenting two $1 million (£750,000) checks to voters who had signed a petition aimed at halting what he referred to as “activist” judges.
Kaul attempted to contend that the giveaway was an unlawful effort to purchase votes. In reply, Musk’s legal representatives asserted that Kaul is “hindering Mr. Musk’s political expression and infringing upon his First Amendment rights.”
Musk’s legal representatives further stated that the payments aimed “to foster a popular movement opposing activist judges, rather than directly supporting or criticizing any particular candidate.”
Following support from two lower courts for Musk, Kaul urgently appealed to the state’s Supreme Court for a last-minute stay. However, the highest court collectively decided not to consider the case.
Musk and President Donald Trump have supported a conservative candidate, Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel, with the aim of shifting the balance of the liberal-leaning court.
Judge Schimel is competing against Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, who has received backing from the state Supreme Court’s liberal judges.
Attorneys representing the technology giant contended that judges who have openly supported Judge Crawford in the Supreme Court election ought to be disqualified from presiding over the case, citing potential prejudice as their reasoning.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court election is viewed by political observers as an indicator of public sentiment regarding President Trump’s second term, only a few months following his swearing-in.
This timing is significant as it precedes major cases concerning abortion rights, congressional district boundaries, and voting regulations that might impact the 2026 midterm elections.
Musk has presented the election as an opportunity to prevent redistricting that might provide Democrats with an advantage in Congress.
He has contributed $14 million to Judge Schimel’s campaign, making this race the costliest judicial election in the nation’s history, with overall expenditures reaching $81 million.
Even with his backing, Judge Schimel seemed to pull away from Musk recently. He told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Friday that he does not intend to attend the rally.
“I am completely clueless about his actions. I have no idea what this rally is all about,” Judge Schimel stated to the newspaper.
It isn’t the first time that Musk has initiated such a giveaway for voters. In the previous year, he also promised a daily cash reward of $1 million to voters in Wisconsin and seven other key states who agreed to sign a petition advocating for the protection of both the First and Second Amendments.
A judge in Pennsylvania subsequently determined that the giveaway was lawful, stating that prosecutors did not manage to demonstrate it as an illegal lottery.