A Wisconsin watchdog group has filed a lawsuit against billionaire Elon Musk, alleging that he violated state laws by offering cash payments to voters during the recent Supreme Court race. The lawsuit, brought by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, seeks to prohibit Musk from making similar offers in future elections. According to the complaint, Musk offered voters $100 to sign a petition opposing “activist judges” and additional payments for referring others to sign the petition.
The language of the petition allegedly mirrored that used by conservative candidate Judge Brad Schimel, whom Musk openly endorsed and campaigned for on his social media platform, X. The lawsuit also claims that Musk distributed $1 million checks as “awards” to some voters who signed the petition, with recipients urging others to sign and vote for Schimel. On March 30, just days before the April 1 election, Musk held an event in Green Bay where he handed out two more $1 million checks to recipients who had reportedly voted early for Schimel.
Musk’s alleged voter payment scheme
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul had previously sued Musk and his America PAC in late March, seeking to block Musk from handing out more checks during the Green Bay event. However, an appeals court denied that effort, and the case was dismissed on April 1.
The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign’s lawsuit alleges that Musk’s actions violated state laws prohibiting the offering of money over $1 to vote or vote for a specific candidate. The group’s attorney, Jeff Mandell, stated, “Our democracy can’t be sold to the highest bidder. Our complaint alleges that Elon Musk and his affiliated groups orchestrated a brazen scheme to bribe voters with the prospect of million-dollar awards in an effort to tilt the outcome of the race to their liking.
The lawsuit seeks a declaratory judgment against Musk, America PAC, and United States of America Inc., aiming to bar them from making similar offers to voters in future elections.
With another Wisconsin Supreme Court election scheduled for April and the outcomes of the November 2026 elections set to determine control of the state Legislature, governor’s office, and congressional districts, the implications of this case could be significant for the state’s political landscape.
Kirstie a technology news reporter at DevX. She reports on emerging technologies and startups waiting to skyrocket.
