Billionaire Elon Musk announced his intentions to host a rally in Wisconsin, where he aims to “personally hand over” $2 million to two voters who have already cast their ballots in the state’s highly contested Supreme Court race. This comes despite a state law that forbids offering anything of value in exchange for voting.
Musk shared the news on his social media platform, X, late Thursday, stating that he plans to award $1 million each to two voters during the event on Sunday, which occurs just two days prior to the election that will shape the ideological balance of the court.
He mentioned that attendance at the event will be restricted to those who have participated in the Supreme Court election, although he did not elaborate on how he would confirm their voting status.
“I will also personally hand over two checks for a million dollars each to show my appreciation for you taking the time to vote,” Musk posted. “This is incredibly important.”
He did not specify how the recipients of the funds were selected.
The Supreme Court race has broken previous spending records for a U.S. judicial election and has become a referendum on Musk and President Donald Trump’s early administration.
Trump, a Republican, threw his support behind Brad Schimel and participated in a telephone town hall with him on Thursday evening.
“This is a very important race,” Trump remarked in brief comments via phone, arranged by Schimel’s campaign. “I know many view it as local, but it’s much more than that. The entire country is watching.”
Schimel, a judge from Waukesha County, is up against Dane County Judge Susan Crawford in Tuesday’s election. Crawford has broad support from Democrats, including the liberal justices currently holding a 4-3 majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and former President Barack Obama. The retirement of a liberal justice this year puts control of the court at stake.
This week, Musk revealed that he had awarded a voter in Green Bay $1 million for signing a petition created by his political action committee that targets activist judges. Andrew Romeo, a spokesperson for Musk’s political action committee, did not confirm whether this individual is among the two set to receive $1 million on Sunday.
Musk pledged $100 to any registered Wisconsin voter who signed the petition or passed it on to others.
This raised concerns regarding the potential violation of Wisconsin law, which makes it a felony to offer or promise any value to influence a voter’s decision.
Any legal challenges concerning Musk’s financial initiatives could ultimately reach the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
A spokesperson for Schimel’s campaign did not respond immediately to inquiries about Schimel’s attendance at Musk’s event.
Schimel, a former attorney general, was asked about the petition during a WISN-TV interview on Thursday.
“To be honest, I thought about whether I should sign that petition. I oppose activist judges, but I didn’t feel it was right to do so,” Schimel stated.
In response to the $1 million award query, Schimel commented, “I’m not sure what the criteria were to receive it.”
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, did not reply to messages regarding Musk’s monetary gifts. However, Crawford’s campaign spokesperson, Derrick Honeyman, referred to Musk’s visit as a “last-minute desperate distraction.”
“The people of Wisconsin do not appreciate a billionaire like Musk attempting to dictate their voting choices, and on Tuesday, voters should reject Musk’s ally Brad Schimel,” Honeyman asserted.
Musk’s political action committee employed a similar strategy before last year’s presidential election, offering $1 million daily to voters across Wisconsin and six other battleground states who supported a petition for the First and Second Amendments.
During last year’s election cycle, Philadelphia’s district attorney initiated a lawsuit to halt the payments in accordance with Pennsylvania law. However, a judge ruled that prosecutors did not provide sufficient evidence to classify the effort as an illegal lottery, allowing it to continue until Election Day.
Musk and the groups he funds have already spent over $20 million to support Schimel, while billionaire George Soros contributed $2 million in favor of Crawford, and Democratic Illinois Governor JB Pritzker added $1.5 million.
Musk’s involvement in the race came shortly after his electric vehicle company, Tesla, filed a lawsuit against Wisconsin to open dealerships in the state.
Crawford and her supporters have accused Musk of attempting to buy influence over the court, given that Tesla’s lawsuit could be heard by the justices.
This election holds significant implications as the Wisconsin Supreme Court is also likely to rule on issues regarding abortion rights, congressional redistricting, union authority, and voting regulations that could impact the midterm elections in 2026 and the presidential election in 2028.
Wisconsin stands as one of the few genuine battleground states, amplifying the focus on court races that will dictate voting regulations. Trump won Wisconsin by mere fractions in both 2016 and 2020, while he lost it in the subsequent election by a similarly thin margin. Notably, five of the past seven presidential elections in the state have been settled by less than a percentage point.
So far, over $81 million has been allocated to the Supreme Court race, shattering the previous record for a judicial race in the U.S. of $51 million, which was established in Wisconsin just two years ago, according to data from the Brennan Center.
