Bipartisan commission cites $1M voter payments as probable cause
The Wisconsin Elections Commission voted 5-1 to forward complaints accusing Elon Musk of violating state anti-bribery law to the Brown County District Attorney, according to WISN-TV in Milwaukee.
The bipartisan commission said Musk’s post on X offering $1 million to those who voted in the 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election showed probable cause that he violated state election law banning bribery, the Milwaukee television station reported.
Musk’s American PAC wrote $1 million checks to two voters during the 2025 election as part of tens of millions he invested in the failed campaign of conservative Brad Schimel, who sought a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Schimel lost to Susan Crawford, a liberal who previously served as a circuit court judge in Dane County.
The commission also examined additional payments Musk made, including prizes ranging from $20 to $100 for individuals who signed the “Petition in Opposition to Activist Judges,” according to Forbes.
The criminal referral puts the decision on whether to file charges in the hands of local prosecutors in Brown County.