Elon Musk ignores Wisconsin Democrats, doubles down on ‘buying votes’

Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, is once again making headlines after spending over $20M on Brad Schimel’s political campaign. Musk has distributed $1M checks to voters and is offering incentives of up to $1,000 for individuals who spread the word about the election taking place on April 1, 2025.

Elon Musk has remained in the spotlight since he became visibly involved in U.S. politics, graduating from vocally supporting President Donald Trump’s campaign to heading the Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E).

Musk’s methods and intentions have been polarizing, with critics and supporters of the Tesla billionaire rarely seeing eye to eye.

Now, Musk’s attention has turned to influencing Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race in favor of the conservative candidate, Brad Schimel.

Musk flirts with pay per vote accusations

Elon Musk has made headlines for distributing $1M checks to two Wisconsin voters ahead of the state’s Supreme Court election. Musk stated that the individuals who he made a million dollars richer were the designated spokespeople for his political group.

The Supreme Court election is important for several reasons, as the court has serious weight over matters like redistricting, union power, abortion rights, and other major political issues within the state.

Musk emphasized the significance of the election while addressing approximately 2,000 attendees at a rally in Green Bay. He even turned on the charm offensive as he donned a yellow cheesehead hat, a popular accessory among locals. Musk highlighted that the state’s Supreme Court might address redistricting of congressional districts, which could ultimately affect which party controls the U.S. House.

“And if the (Wisconsin) Supreme Court is able to redraw the districts, they will gerrymander the district and deprive Wisconsin of two seats on the Republican side. Then they will try to stop all the government reforms we are getting done for you, the American people,” he said

Musk is aligned with Republican and right-winged politics at the moment, so it’s no surprise that he’s throwing his weight behind securing a win for Schimel in the election.

A win for Susan Crawford, the opposing candidate, would mean that the majority of the state’s high court will be liberal, and as such, more inclined to hear cases on abortion rights, election law, and other issues that could potentially involve Musk’s companies in the coming years.

Wisconsin Democrats turn on Musk

Wisconsin’s Democratic Attorney General, Josh Kaul, filed a lawsuit seeking to block Musk from distributing the $1M payments, arguing that his actions would violate the state’s laws against offering incentives to voters. However, the Wisconsin Supreme Court unanimously declined to hear the case, allowing Musk’s payments to proceed. ​

Ben Wikler, Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, also shared his strong disapproval of Musk’s actions, stating, “Elon Musk has committed a blatant felony by offering money for votes in order to help Brad Schimel. Musk’s illegal election bribery scheme to save Schimel is a desperate and disgraceful attempt to manipulate our democracy.”

Musk initially offered voters a chance to win a million dollars, which would have directly violated Wisconsin state laws. Following backlash, Musk took down the post and instead began an awareness campaign for the election. Volunteering for this campaign is, of course, incentivized.

“You could make over $1000 in one day just by getting out the vote in Wisconsin!” Musk posted.

You could make over $1000 in one day just by getting out the vote in Wisconsin! https://t.co/SPnApUbwoD

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 31, 2025

In another post, the CEO explained: “Easiest money you ever made! You don’t even need to be from Wisconsin, you just need to get people in the state to hold a picture of @TeamSchimel (can be on a phone/device or paper) in one hand and go thumbs up with the other hand. Every time you do that you get $20 and they get $20. The goal is to build awareness about the election tomorrow, so this offer applies to today and tomorrow.”

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