On Sunday, Wisconsin’s attorney general requested that the state Supreme Court, which is currently liberal-controlled, intervene to prevent billionaire Elon Musk from distributing $1 million checks to two voters. This request arose just hours before Musk intended to make the giveaway at an evening rally.
Two lower courts have dismissed the legal challenge presented by Democrat Josh Kaul, who contends that Musk’s proposition breaches state law by prohibiting the exchange of anything of value for votes.
“Wisconsin law forbids offering anything of worth to influence someone to vote,” Kaul asserted in his legal filing. “However, Elon Musk has done exactly that.”
The upcoming Supreme Court election in Wisconsin, which could determine the ideological balance of the court, is scheduled for Tuesday. With Musk’s involvement, this election has transformed into the most expensive judicial election in U.S. history, featuring over $81 million in expenditures.
The liberals maintain a 4-3 majority on the court. Yet, five out of the seven justices have expressed support for candidates in the election, creating potential conflicts regarding their ability to adjudicate the Musk case.
The liberal justices have endorsed Susan Crawford, a Dane County Judge backed by the Democrats. Meanwhile, one conservative justice has thrown support behind Brad Schimel, a Waukesha County Judge who counts President Trump and Musk among his backers. Schimel was seen sporting a “Make America Great Again” hat during his campaigning on Sunday.
“That’s the commitment I’ve made to everyone, whether it’s President Trump, Elon Musk, or any donors, supporters, or voters in Wisconsin,” Schimel stated during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday.”
Schimel has not confirmed whether he will be attending the rally.
Crawford’s campaign has opted not to comment on Kaul’s legal actions.
Previously, Musk’s political action committee employed a similar strategy ahead of the last presidential election, proposing to pay $1 million daily to voters in Wisconsin and six other crucial states who signed petitions advocating for the First and Second Amendments. A judge in Pennsylvania ruled that prosecutors did not demonstrate the initiative was an illegal lottery, thus permitting it to continue through Election Day.
On Friday, Musk initially announced on his social media platform, X, that he would “personally hand over” $2 million to two voters who had already cast their ballots in the election.
He later clarified that the funds would be designated for individuals who would serve as “spokesmen” for an online petition opposing “activist” judges. Originally stating that the event would be exclusive to those who had voted in the Supreme Court race, Musk revised attendance to be limited to petition signers only.
Additionally, Musk’s political action committee announced the first recipient of its $1 million giveaway — a man from Green Bay who had supported the Wisconsin GOP and the conservative candidate in the court race, with a history of promoting Trump and his policies.
The judicial election coincides with expectations that Wisconsin’s highest court will rule on significant issues including abortion rights, congressional redistricting, union authority, and voting regulations, all of which could influence the 2026 midterm elections and the 2028 presidential race in the state.
There are also congressional elections occurring in Florida on Tuesday, promising considerable fundraising. The 6th District was vacated when National Security Adviser Mike Waltz joined Trump’s Cabinet, and the 1st District had been held by former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who resigned to work in the Trump administration as Attorney General. Although he ultimately withdrew from consideration, he had already stepped down from his position. Both districts supported Trump by margins of 30 points or greater, yet Democrats have excelled in fundraising.
