Politics
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March 28, 2025
On the eve of a vital election, Musk stirred large controversy with the promise of $1 million funds to backers of his campaign towards “activist judges.”
Elon Musk throughout a March 24, 2025, assembly on the White Home.
(Samuel Corum / Sipa / Bloomberg by way of Getty Photographs)
Wisconsin Lawyer Common Josh Kaul introduced Friday afternoon that he would take authorized motion to stop Elon Musk from awarding $1 million checks to Wisconsin voters at an occasion scheduled to happen simply two days earlier than the state’s Supreme Courtroom election on Tuesday.
“The Wisconsin Division of Justice is dedicated to making sure that elections in Wisconsin are protected, safe, free, and truthful. We’re conscious of the supply lately posted by Elon Musk to award one million {dollars} to 2 individuals at an occasion in Wisconsin this weekend,” mentioned Kaul. “Primarily based on our understanding of relevant Wisconsin regulation, we intend to take authorized motion at present to hunt a court docket order to cease this from occurring.”
The Democrat’s intervention is the newest response to the over-the-top efforts of the world’s richest man to purchase his means into the high-stakes Supreme Courtroom race on behalf of a right-wing contender who has aligned his marketing campaign with President Donald Trump and the MAGA wing of the Republican Social gathering.
Musk has pumped a minimum of $20 million into political motion committees and the state Republican Social gathering to spice up the prospects of his favored candidate, veteran GOP politician Brad Schimel, within the April 1 contest, which can determine whether or not the court docket, which at the moment has a 4–3 progressive majority, shall be ceded to right-wing judicial activists.
Musk introduced early Friday morning that he deliberate to jet into Wisconsin for a Sunday occasion. There, he indicated, he would current a pair of $1 million checks to 2 Wisconsinites who had each signed his “In Opposition to Activist Judges” petition and forged early votes within the election.
Musk, whose political motion committee introduced it had already given one Wisconsin petition signer a $1 million test, promised to hand-deliver the subsequent two. “I may even personally hand over two checks for one million {dollars} every in appreciation for you taking the time to vote,” he introduced on his X (Twitter) social media platform, in a publish that mentioned the occasion could be “restricted to those that have voted within the Supreme Courtroom election.”
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Musk deleted the publish by noon Friday, amid a flurry of criticism from authorized consultants who, as Politico reported, “raised issues that providing the Sunday giveaway for less than those that have already voted may violate Wisconsin’s election bribery regulation, which makes it a criminal offense to supply “something of worth” to “induce” potential voters to vote or not vote in an election.
One of many nation’s high marketing campaign finance legal professionals, Brendan Fischer, who has roots in Wisconsin, defined, “I’m really shocked that Musk is being so specific about tying eligibility for this million greenback payout to having voted within the election. His tweet makes it very clear you can solely enter this occasion, and you may solely be eligible for the million-dollar payout, in the event you voted, and it’s laborious to learn that as something aside from offering a factor of worth to induce an individual to vote, or to reward them for having voted.”
After deleting the preliminary publish, Musk returned with a brand new one which sought to skirt the authorized points by suggesting that he’d be giving the checks to “spokesmen” for the petition marketing campaign towards “activist judges,” and seemingly eliminated the requirement that attendees be early voters. “To make clear a earlier publish, entrance is restricted to those that have signed the petition in opposition to activist judges,” he wrote. “I may even hand over checks for one million {dollars} to 2 individuals to be spokesmen for the petition.”
That didn’t appear to fulfill Kaul, who responded Friday to urging from three watchdog teams—the Wisconsin Democracy Marketing campaign, the State Democracy Defenders Fund and the Regulation Ahead authorized group—that had requested for “a right away investigation” of Musk’s actions, from the $1 million checks plan to a suggestion by the billionaire’s America PAC to pay $100 to voters for signal the “In Opposition to Activist Judges” petition.
Musk’s newest gambit additional highlights the truth that the richest man on the earth retains upping the ante in his bid to purchase the election for Schimel, a former lawyer common and present choose who has tied his marketing campaign tightly to President Trump. Trump endorsed Schimel this week. However it’s Musk who has earned the headlines in Wisconsin due to an unprecedented spending spree that has seen him prop up Schimel’s uninspired marketing campaign with large donations to political motion committees and the Wisconsin Republican Social gathering.
Musk’s roughly $20 million in spending, as of Friday, has supported mobilization drives for Schimel and assault adverts and mailings concentrating on Schimel’s progressive rival, Dane County Circuit Courtroom Decide Susan Crawford. The intervention is already the most expensive within the historical past of state judicial contests in the US. It accounts for a minimum of one-fifth of the $100 million whole that’s anticipated to be spent within the race, itself a record-breaking sum.
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Musk’s money infusion could be a shock to the system of any state. However it’s particularly brazen in Wisconsin, the place, regardless of their latest experiences in an intensely contested political battleground, voters have traditionally demanded an inexpensive measure of decorum and moral rigor of their elections.
Wisconsin is a proud Midwestern state the place voters don’t take kindly to out-of-touch oligarchs who think about that elections will be purchased with flashy outlays of marketing campaign cash. In 2022, voters rejected a problem by a free-spending millionaire (who had spent a lot of his time earlier than the election in his Connecticut mansion) to earnest Democratic Governor Tony Evers. Then, in 2024, they rejected the problem of an much more free-spending Republican millionaire (who spent a lot of his time earlier than the election in his California mansion) to much more earnest Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin.
So Musk’s working leap into the politics of a state he doesn’t seem to know very a lot about may do extra hurt than good for Schimel.
The issue is just not merely with the authorized questions which have arisen with regard to the test giveaways, though they look like consequential. It’s additionally the look of the factor. “When persons are getting million-dollar [checks] up in Inexperienced Bay by way of Musk, what within the hell is occurring?” requested Evers.
A local of rural northeast Wisconsin who taught in faculties all around the state, received three statewide elections for Superintendent of Public Instruction, after which beat right-wing Republican Governor Scott Walker in 2018, Evers speaks for lots of people in Wisconsin who’ve observed that Musk doesn’t appear to know their state very effectively.
It began in January, when the billionaire took an curiosity within the Supreme Courtroom contest however struggled to determine how judges are chosen within the state.
Schimel’s enchantment for Musk was apparent sufficient. Other than the last word prize his candidacy represents—flipping a vital state Supreme Courtroom to the best—the judicial contender talks about the necessity to set up a “assist community” for the Trump administration. That’s acquired to enchantment to Musk as a result of, in his outsize position as Trump’s federal-agency slashing “particular authorities worker,” he has grow to be the definitional determine in an administration he helped put into place with $270 million in marketing campaign spending final fall.
However Musk has given Schimel backers loads of unhealthy recommendation. In his first social media publish of the marketing campaign, the billionaire wrote: “Essential to vote Republican for the Wisconsin Supreme Courtroom…” He was apparently unaware that Wisconsin court docket races are formally nonpartisan and don’t function Republican or Democratic poll traces. In different phrases, although Schimel is a Republican, and although he’s backed by Republicans, it’s unimaginable to forged a “Republican” vote for the Wisconsin Supreme Courtroom.
Then, in February, Wisconsin Public Radio reported:
Every week after reserving a seven-figure TV advert purchase in Wisconsin’s high-stakes Supreme Courtroom election, a political motion group tied to Elon Musk has canceled one social media advert that featured the mistaken particular person.
An advert by the group Constructing America’s Future attacking Dane County Decide Susan Crawford, the liberal candidate within the April race, featured the face of a unique Susan Crawford.
Whereas the advert linked to a web site attacking Decide Crawford’s document on crime, the picture within the advert featured creator, local weather change columnist and former Harvard Regulation Faculty Professor Susan P. Crawford.
Wisconsin’s Susan Crawford mentioned, “It simply says volumes about them attempting to cost right into a state of Wisconsin race with out even understanding who the candidate is.”
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Wisconsin Lawyer Common Josh Kaul introduced Friday afternoon that he would take authorized motion to stop billionaire Elon Musk from awarding $1 million checks to Wisconsin voters at an occasion scheduled to happen two days earlier than the state April 1 Supreme Courtroom election.
“The Wisconsin Division of Justice is dedicated to making sure that elections in Wisconsin are protected, safe, free, and truthful. We’re conscious of the supply lately posted by Elon Musk to award one million {dollars} to 2 individuals at an occasion in Wisconsin this weekend,” mentioned Kaul. “Primarily based on our understanding of relevant Wisconsin regulation, we intend to take authorized motion at present to hunt a court docket order to cease this from occurring.”
The Democratic Lawyer Common’s intervention is the newest response to the over-the-top efforts of the world’s richest man to purchase his means into the Wisconsin contest – on behalf a right-wing contender who has aligned his marketing campaign with President Donald Trump and the MAGA wing of the Republican Social gathering. Musk has pumped a minimum of $20 million into political motion committees and the Republican Social gathering to spice up the prospects of his favored candidate, veteran Republican politician Brad Schimel, within the April 1 contest that can determine whether or not management of the court docket, which at the moment has a 4-3 progressive majority, shall be ceded to right-wing judicial activists.
The billionaire introduced early Friday morning that he deliberate to jet into Wisconsin for a Sunday occasion the place he indicated that he would current a pair of $1 million checks to Wisconsinite who had signed his “In Opposition to Activist Judges” petition and forged early votes within the state’s hike-stakes Supreme Courtroom election.
Musk, whose political motion committee indicated that it had already given one Wisconsin petition signer a $1 million test, was now promising handy ship the subsequent checks. “I may even personally hand over two checks for one million {dollars} every in appreciation for you taking the time to vote,” the Trump-aligned billionaire introduced on his X (Twitter) social media platform, in a publish that mentioned the occasion could be “restricted to those that have voted within the Supreme Courtroom election.”
Musk deleted the publish by mid-day Friday, amid a swirl of criticism from authorized consultants who Politico reported “raised issues that providing the Sunday giveaway for less than those that have already voted may violate Wisconsin’s election bribery regulation, which makes it a criminal offense to supply “something of worth” to “induce” potential voters to vote or not vote in an election.
One of many nation’s high marketing campaign finance lawyer, Brendan Fischer, who has roots in Wisconsin, defined, “I’m really shocked that Musk is being so specific about tying eligibility for this million greenback payout to having voted within the election. His tweet makes it very clear you can solely enter this occasion, and you may solely be eligible for the million-dollar payout, in the event you voted, and it’s laborious to learn that as something aside from offering a factor of worth to induce an individual to vote, or to reward them for having voted.”
After deleting the preliminary publish, Musk returned with a brand new one which sought to skirt the problems by suggesting that he’d be giving the checks to “spokesmen” for the petition marketing campaign towards “activist judges,” and appeared the take away the requirement that attendees be early voters. “To make clear a earlier publish, entrance is restricted to those that have signed the petition in opposition to activist judges,” wrote Musk. “I may even hand over checks for one million {dollars} to 2 individuals to be spokesmen for the petition.”
That didn’t fulfill Kaul, who responded Friday to urging from three watchdog teams, the Wisconsin Democracy Marketing campaign, the State Democracy Defenders Fund and the Regulation Ahead authorized group, which had requested for “a right away investigation” of Musk’s actions, together with a suggestion by the billionaire’s America PAC to pay $100 to voters for signal the “In Opposition to Activist Judges” petition.
Th consideration to the billionaire’s newest gambit additional highlights the truth that the richest man on the earth retains upping the ante in his bid to purchase the court docket election for right-wing Republican politician Brad Schimel – a former Lawyer Common and present choose who has tied his marketing campaign to President Donald Trump. Trump endorsed Schimel this week. However it’s Musk who has earned the headlines in Wisconsin, with an unprecedented spending spree that has seen the billionaire enhance Schimel’s uninspired marketing campaign with large donations to political motion committees and the state Republican Social gathering.
Funding mobilization drives for Schimel and assault adverts and mailings concentrating on Schimel’s progressive rival, Dane County Circuit Courtroom Decide Susan Crawford, Musk had already spent roughly $20 million by this week – accounting for a minimum of one fifth of all spending in a race that’s anticipated to see record-breaking expenditures by candidates, events and PACs within the vary of $100 million.
Musk’s intervention – the most expensive of its sort within the historical past of state judicial contests in the US — could be a shock to the system of any state. However it’s particularly stunning in Wisconsin the place, regardless of their latest experiences in an intensely contested political battleground, voters have traditionally demanded an inexpensive measure of decorum and moral rigor in terms of judicial elections, and to elections usually. Wisconsin is a proud midwestern state the place voters don’t take kindly to out-to-touch oligarchs who think about that elections will be purchased with flashy outlays of marketing campaign money. Certainly, that is the state that in 2022 rejected a problem by a free-spending millionaire (who had spent a lot of his time earlier than the election in his Connecticut mansion) to earnest Democratic Governor Tony Evers, and that in 2024 rejected the problem of an much more free-spending Republican millionaire (who spent a lot of his time earlier than the election in his California mansion) to much more earnest Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin.
So, Musk’s working leap into the politics of state about he doesn’t seem to know very a lot may to extra to hurt somewhat than good for Schimel. The issue is just not merely with the authorized questions which have arisen with regard to his test giveaways, though they look like consequential.
It’s additionally the look of the factor. “When persons are getting million-dollar (checks) up in Inexperienced Bay by way of Musk, what within the hell is occurring?” requested Evers.
A local of rural northeast Wisconsin who taught in faculties all around the state, received three statewide elections for Superintendent of Public Instruction, after which beat right-wing Republican Governor Scott Walker in 2018, Evers speaks for lots of people in Wisconsin who’ve observed that Musk doesn’t appear to know their state very effectively,
It began in January, when the billionaire took an curiosity within the Supreme Courtroom contest however struggled to determine how judges are chosen within the state.
Schimel enchantment for Musk was apparent sufficient. The judicial contender talks about the necessity to set up a “assist community” for the Trump administration. That’s consequential for Musk as a result of, in his outsized position as Trump’s federal-agency slashing “particular authorities worker,” he has grow to be the definitional determine in an administration he helped put into place with $270 million in marketing campaign spending final fall.
However Musk preliminary foray into Wisconsin politics noticed him giving Schimel backers unhealthy recommendation. In his first social media publish of the marketing campaign, the billionaire wrote: “Essential to vote Republican for the Wisconsin Supreme Courtroom …” He was apparently unaware that Wisconsin court docket races are formally nonpartisan and don’t function Republican or Democratic poll traces. In different phrases, although Schimel is a Republican, and although he’s backed by Republicans, it’s unimaginable to forged a Republican vote for the Wisconsin Supreme Courtroom.
In February, Wisconsin Public Radio reported: “Every week after reserving a seven-figure TV advert purchase in Wisconsin’s high-stakes Supreme Courtroom election, a political motion group tied to Elon Musk has canceled one social media advert that featured the mistaken particular person. An advert by the group Constructing America’s Future attacking Dane County Decide Susan Crawford, the liberal candidate within the April race, featured the face of a unique Susan Crawford. Whereas the advert linked to a web site attacking Decide Crawford’s document on crime, the picture within the advert featured creator, local weather change columnist and former Harvard Regulation Faculty Professor Susan P. Crawford.”
Wisconsin’s Susan Crawford mentioned, “It simply says volumes about them attempting to cost right into a state of Wisconsin race with out even understanding who the candidate is.”