Musk likely broke the law when he promised voters payouts, Wisconsin board concludes

Prosecutors have the option of bringing criminal charges for violating state laws that prohibit people from bribing voters.

Published: July 15, 2026 9:00am

Billionaire Elon Musk likely ran afoul of the law when he offered $1 million checks to voters in the state's 2025 Supreme Court election, the Wisconsin Elections Commission concluded. 

Following the 5-1 vote, the board referred two complaints, which are anonymous unders state law, to the Brown County district attorney's office last week, which has the option of bringing criminal charges for violating state laws that prohibit people from bribing voters, NBC reported. Prosecutors have 40 days to report back to the board. 

Musk and groups he supported spent at least $20 million on the campaign of Brad Schimel, the candidate Republicans backed, but Schimel lost by 10 percentage points. Spending on the election topped $100 million, which made it the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history. 

The SpaceX CEO gave $1 million checks to three Wisconsin voters, two of whom received them at a Green Bay rally.

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