Wisconsin Judge Won’t Stop Musk’s $1M Payments to Voters

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ADISON, Wis. — A judge in Wisconsin ruled on Saturday against halting billionaire Elon Musk’s plans to distribute $1 million checks to two voters during a rally just days before a highly competitive Supreme Court election. The state’s attorney general, who contends that this initiative breaches legal regulations, promptly filed an appeal after the judge opted not to consider an emergency injunction to prevent the financial gifts.

This decision adds another chapter to Musk’s significant involvement in the election, which has already seen unprecedented financial contributions in a judicial race and has become a crucial test of the early days of Donald Trump’s presidency. Musk and Trump are endorsing Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel, while the Democrats are rallying behind Dane County Judge Susan Crawford.

Musk is set to hold a rally on Sunday where he plans to award $1 million to two Wisconsin voters for signing an online petition against what he describes as “activist” judges. Additionally, he is offering $100 to anyone who adds their name to the petition, having previously donated $1 million to a Green Bay resident who participated.

Musk and organizations he supports have invested over $20 million into this election, while Democratic heavyweights, including George Soros, are backing Crawford. This election is pivotal as it could shift the ideological balance of the court. The current liberal majority of 4-3 is at risk due to a retirement this year, making the outcome even more critical. The election is set to conclude on Tuesday.

On Friday, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, filed a lawsuit aiming to halt the payments from Musk’s America PAC, asserting that they contravene state law, which criminalizes offering voters anything of value in exchange for their votes.

Following the rejection of his request by Columbia County Circuit Judge Andrew Voigt, Kaul announced plans to escalate the matter to the state Court of Appeals.

Musk’s political action committee had previously employed a similar strategy before the last presidential election, proposing to pay $1 million daily to voters in Wisconsin and six other crucial states who signed a petition supporting First and Second Amendment rights. A Pennsylvania judge ruled that prosecutors did not sufficiently demonstrate that this constituted an illegal lottery, allowing the initiative to continue until Election Day.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court race comes at a time when the court is expected to make rulings on critical issues such as abortion rights, congressional redistricting, union influence, and voting regulations that could impact the midterms in 2026 and the presidential election in 2028.

Initially, Musk announced via his social media platform, X, that he intended to “personally deliver” $2 million to two voters who had already cast their ballots in the election. Kaul is seeking a court order to prevent Musk from promoting the upcoming giveaway and to prohibit any further payments to voters in Wisconsin.