Billionaire Elon Musk may be charged with violating Wisconsin’s election bribery law, according to the state’s Elections Commission.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission has found that Musk’s offer of $1 million checks to voters during a Wisconsin Supreme Court election in March 2025 could be a breach of the state’s election bribery law. The commission, which consists of three Republicans and three Democrats, voted 5-1 to forward two complaints against Musk to the Brown County District Attorney’s office, Emilee Miklas, the commission’s Communications Director, told CBS News on Tuesday.
The commission approved a motion finding “probable cause” that Musk violated a state law prohibiting the offering of “anything of value” to influence a person to vote. The complaint focuses on Musk’s cash giveaway program for voters who signed petitions organized by his political group, a practice that began during President Donald Trump‘s 2024 campaign and continued through Wisconsin’s April 2025 judicial election.
Whether David Lasee, the top prosecutor in Brown County, which covers Green Bay, will pursue charges against Musk remains uncertain.
Inside Musk’s Voter Payment Row
This controversy dates back to the time when Musk began distributing $1 million checks to Wisconsin voters after the state Supreme Court refused a legal challenge. The payments were handed out just minutes before the start of a rally.
The Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:SPCX) and Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO initially announced the cash giveaway on social media before a public event in Wisconsin but later deleted the post and clarified that only people who signed a petition opposing activist judges were eligible, after experts raised concerns that the plan could violate election laws. Musk then said that two petition signers would each receive $1 million to serve as spokespeople for the campaign.
In April 2025, Wisconsin voters eventually elected liberal judge Susan Crawford, defeating conservative Brad Schimel, to retain the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s 4-3 liberal majority, despite Musk’s $20 million backing of the conservative candidate.
Despite announcing a pullback from political spending in 2025, Musk reemerged as a significant Republican donor ahead of the November midterms, contributing $5 million to Trump’s super PAC, MAGA Inc.
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