Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, likely broke the law when he gave $1 million checks to voters ahead of the 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election, the state’s elections commission decided last week.
In a closed session during its meeting last week, the commission voted 5-1 to refer two complaints to the Brown County District Attorney’s Office alleging that Musk violated the state law against election bribery. The office has 40 days to decide if it will bring charges.
The state’s election bribery statute makes it a crime to provide “anything of value” to induce a person to go to the polls. In Wisconsin, election bribery is a Class I felony, which is punishable by a maximum penalty of up to 3.5 years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.
In the days before the election, Musk gave $1 million to three voters, including two who received checks on stage at a political rally. He had posted on social media that people would be eligible for receiving the money if they had voted in the election. His America PAC also offered $100 to people who signed a petition against “activist judges.”
Musk was heavily involved in the 2025 race between conservative Dan Kelly and liberal Susan Crawford, spending more than $20 million supporting Kelly in what became the most expensive judicial campaign in U.S. history. Crawford won the race by a significant margin. The race occurred as Musk was making headlines for his leadership of President Donald Trump’s DOGE initiative to dramatically cut federal government spending. Crawford’s comfortable win, which solidified liberal control of the Court, was partially attributed to Musk’s participation backfiring and igniting turnout against Kelly.
