Billionaire Elon Musk has made headlines by giving away $1 million (£770,000) cheques to voters in Wisconsin, shortly before a highly contentious Supreme Court election on Tuesday. His actions follow the state Supreme Court’s refusal to intervene in a lawsuit initiated by Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, who argued that the giveaway might infringe upon state laws prohibiting gifts in exchange for votes.
Musk's prize announcements, made earlier in the week, come at a critical juncture where the Supreme Court elections are poised to influence the composition of Wisconsin's judiciary, possibly flipping it to Republican control. During a rally on Sunday evening, Musk stated, “We just want judges to be judges,” as he handed over two $1M cheques to petition signers advocating against what he termed "activist" judges.
Arguing against the lawsuit, Musk's legal team contended that AG Kaul’s efforts restrict Musk’s free speech rights under the First Amendment and asserted that the cheques were meant to foster grassroots opposition to activist judicial stances rather than to explicitly influence voting toward specific candidates. Despite Kaul's plea for intervention from the state Supreme Court, which he described as an urgent request for an 11th hour reprieve, the court unanimously declined to entertain the case.
In the upcoming election, Musk has endorsed Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel, who is hoping to unseat rival Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, backed by the Supreme Court's liberal justices. The race has stirred considerable attention, with many viewing it as a referendum on Trump's presidency and significant future cases related to abortion rights, voting regulations, and congressional redistricting on the horizon that could impact the midterm elections in 2026.
Moreover, Musk has backed Schimel’s campaign with $14 million in contributions, pushing the total expenditure in what is becoming the most expensive judicial election in American history, with around $81 million spent. Interestingly, Schimel distanced himself from Musk’s rally, recently telling a local newspaper, “I have no idea what he's doing. I have no idea what this rally is," reflecting a complex interplay in campaign dynamics. This isn’t Musk’s first foray into voter incentivization, as he similarly attempted a $1M giveaway in Wisconsin last year, which a Pennsylvania judge later deemed legal, referencing inadequacies in proving it constituted an unlawful lottery.
