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Mar 23, 2025 Elon Musk spent over $20 million and offered $1 million payments and $100 petition-signing bonuses to influence the Wisconsin Supreme Court election Tier 1 · Primary Economic Structure
A billionaire government adviser poured tens of millions into a single state judicial race with direct cash inducements, raising vote-buying and judicial-independence concerns.
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Supporting reports
- Elon Musk's PACs spent $12 million on Wisconsin Supreme Court race with $20 million expected — Elon Musk's political action committees have spent $12 million supporting Republican Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel, with an expected total of $20 million by election day. Musk is also buying votes by offering to pay people $100 to "sign a petition" against "activist judges," replicating a strategy used in Pennsylvania and other key states. Trump has made multiple posts on Truth Social promoting Schimel and attacking his Democratic opponent Susan Crawford. Schimel's opponent is using Musk's involvement to her advantage, running ads stating "Elon Musk is trying to buy Schimel a seat on the Supreme Court."
- Elon Musk attempted to influence Wisconsin Supreme Court election through financial intervention — Elon Musk made an attempt to buy influence in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election through financial means. The election is described as the most expensive judicial race in history and will determine abortion laws and legislative and congressional district lines. The intervention represents private wealth attempting to shape judicial outcomes on major policy questions.
- Elon Musk's PAC spent $19 million on Wisconsin Supreme Court election and paid voters — Elon Musk's political action committee spent $19 million supporting the Republican candidate in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election, which will determine the court's ideological balance. The PAC also paid Wisconsin residents $100 each to sign a petition against "activist judges" and announced $1 million prize awards to incentivize petition signatures, with additional million-dollar awards planned.
- Elon Musk offers million-dollar payments to Wisconsin voters — Elon Musk advertised a contest offering two Wisconsin voters $1 million each in exchange for signing a petition against "activist judges" in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election. The offer violated Wisconsin law prohibiting offering anything worth more than $1 to induce voting or refraining from voting. After Wisconsin Democrats identified the violation, Musk deleted the original tweet and reposted it, removing language requiring voters to have already voted and instead offering checks to petition spokespeople. Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul sued to stop Musk from making any payments to Wisconsin electors to vote.
- Elon Musk contributes $20 million to Wisconsin Supreme Court election — Elon Musk contributed more than $20 million to the April 1, 2025 election for a ten-year seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Trump loyalist Brad Schimel is running against circuit court judge Susan Crawford. The election has national significance because Wisconsin's court composition determines whether voting rules are suppressed and districts are gerrymandered. Currently, the Republican gerrymander gives Republicans 75% of Wisconsin's U.S. House seats despite nearly even statewide voting. The court's makeup will likely determine Wisconsin's congressional districts through 2041.
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 10 – 2025-03-22–2025-03-28
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