Wisconsin Supreme Court Rejects Attempt to Block Elon Musk's $1M Giveaway
Sarah Johnson
March 31, 2025
Brief
The Wisconsin Supreme Court declined to block Elon Musk's $1 million voter giveaway at a Green Bay town hall, sparking debate over election laws and political influence.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has unanimously chosen not to entertain a last-ditch effort by the state's Democratic Attorney General, Josh Kaul, to prevent Elon Musk from handing out $1 million checks to voters. The decision arrived just hours before Musk hosted an America PAC town hall in Green Bay, where he gave away those jaw-dropping checks to two voters who had signed a petition opposing "activist judges."
Musk, never one to shy away from theatrics, openly admitted that the giveaway was meant to grab attention. Holding a comically oversized check, he declared, "We need to get attention... somewhat inevitably, when I do this, it causes the legacy media to lose their minds." If attention was the goal, mission accomplished.
Wisconsin Supreme Court justices are elected to 10-year terms, and Musk's appearance was aimed at supporting Brad Schimel, a Republican and former state attorney general. Musk's $1 million giveaway, however, sparked legal concerns. Attorney General Kaul argued that the act violated state election laws prohibiting offering anything of value in exchange for voting. Kaul’s petition for an emergency injunction sought to halt Musk’s event, claiming the giveaway was a clear breach of Wisconsin Statute § 12.11.
In response, Musk’s legal team argued that the payments were intended to generate grassroots opposition to activist judges, not to advocate for or against any political candidate. Schimel, the Republican candidate Musk supports, distanced himself from the drama, stating that he has no control over the spending of outside groups, including Musk’s extravagant gestures.
As for Musk’s unique rally-entry requirement? Only those who signed the anti-activist judges petition were allowed inside. Musk also stated he would hand over the $1 million checks to two individuals who would serve as spokespeople for the petition.
It remains unclear whether Schimel attended the rally, but one thing’s for sure: Musk’s flair for blending politics with spectacle has once again left everyone talking.
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Editor's Comments
Elon Musk handing out million-dollar checks like Oprah handing out cars? Classic. But the real story here is how his antics highlight the blurred lines between political activism and plain old showmanship. It’s hard not to wonder whether this is about genuine grassroots change or just Musk’s love for making headlines.
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