Musk’s Million-Dollar Checks Shake Up Wisconsin Supreme Court Race 

United States: Elon Musk distributed million-dollar checks to two Wisconsin voters during a rally while pledging lower amounts to citizens aiding the election of a conservative judicial candidate for the state Supreme Court. 

The Tesla CEO delivered massive checks to Wisconsin voters during a rally in Green Bay as part of his initiative to boost election support for a state Supreme Court candidate whose race has become the most costly judicial contest in U.S. history, as reported by Reuters. 

Musk pledged to provide his supporters with a $20 payment for each volunteer vote recruited during the subsequent two days. 

Musk indicated through a statement that he funded the donations to make the public aware of the lead that liberal Susan Crawford currently held over conservative Brad Schimel. 

“We actually are in serious danger of losing the election,” he said. “We’ve got to pull a rabbit out of a hat.”

🇺🇸So, like this is not bribery?

Musk gives away two $1 million checks to Wisconsin voters in high profile judicial race https://t.co/jzioqqH7xq

— Fat Fingers™🐋 (@longshortgamma) March 31, 2025

High-Stakes Election with National Impact 

The April 1 election will establish the political direction that the state’s top court will follow in reviewing abortion rights while also examining labor rights along with possible election rules. In this officially nonpartisan election contest voters are using their ballots to create a public statement about Donald Trump’s presidency during an essential battleground state. 

Musk informed the court about a potential district redrawing that would potentially cost Trump’s Republican legislators seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

“I think this will be important for the future of civilization. It’s that significant,” Musk said. 

Musk’s Financial Influence 

Affiliated groups related to Musk used their funds totaling $17.5 million to back Schimel according to New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice. These funds equaled more than a fifth of the $81 million total spending in the race. 

The $1 million charity gift by Musk adopted similar methods he used during his 2024 presidential election run, where he provided funds to petition supporters of right-leaning ideology. 

Legal Challenges and Court Approval 

The state supreme court allowed the giveaway to proceed even though Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul tried to block it through legal action according to the Washington Post. 

Last year, Musk contributed over $250 million toward Trump’s presidential election effort, which exceeded all other donors, while his Wisconsin trip demonstrated his interest in supporting lower-level races, as reported by Reuters. 

Trump gave Musk the authority to oversee a historical government reduction initiative that led to the closure of multiple agencies through mass dismissals of public employees.