'This is illegal': Critics slam Musk for 'bribing people to vote' in key WI race

This Tuesday, April 1, Democrats and Republicans will be paying very close attention to a Wisconsin Supreme Court election. The race is technically nonpartisan, yet it is being viewed as a referendum on President Donald Trump's policies — and in a key swing state that Trump lost in 2020 but won in 2016 and 2024.

One of Trump's closest allies, billionaire Tesla/SpaceX/X.com leader Elon Musk, will be in Wisconsin this Sunday, March 30 to rally for the conservative candidate Brad Schimel — who is up against liberal Susan Crawford. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters Alison Dirr, Daniel Bice and Molly Beck, Musk "has poured about $20 million into the race to back" Schimel.

In a March 28 post on X.com, formerly Twitter, Musk wrote, "On Sunday night, I will give a talk in Wisconsin. Entrance is limited to those who have voted in the Supreme Court election. I will also personally hand over two checks for a million dollars each in appreciation for you taking the time to vote. This is super important."

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Dirr, Bice and Beck report, "It wasn't immediately clear whether the checks Musk said he'd hand out Sunday would go to the two people he referenced in his earlier post about signing the petition. In a statement, the spokesman for Schimel's opponent, liberal Susan Crawford, said Musk was trying to buy off Schimel and labeled his visit a 'last-minute desperate distraction.'"

The last time Wisconsin held a state supreme court race, the liberal candidate, now-Justice Janet Protasiewicz, won.

Musk's visit to Milwaukee and involvement in the race is receiving a lot of reactions on his X.com platform.

Jared Walczak of the Tax Foundation tweeted, "Unless there's some additional fine print, this is illegal. 18 U.S.C. § 597 makes it illegal to offer consideration for voting. That includes things of value like event admissions or sweepstakes entry. It's only legal if there's another way to enter (e.g., fill out this form)."

Walczak also argued, "The election is still ongoing. They're doing early voting now. Election Day is April 1. This rally and drawing is also definitionally future tense. It's an inducement to vote, and that's illegal. Also it's not hard to find 'chapter and verse' on this because it's a law that everyone who has ever worked campaigns knows."

The Associated Press' Scott Bauer noted, "Elon Musk says he plans to hold a rally in Wisconsin to 'personally hand over' $2 million to a pair of voters who have already cast their ballots in the Supreme Court race, despite a law prohibiting giving anything of value in exchange for voting."

TYT.com's Chris McGowan posted, "Do you know what? If you had ANY self respect. AT ALL? You wouldn't be addicted to money the way I am to alcohol. You are a f-----g BILLIONAIRE. A F------G BILLIONAIRE. Why do you need 'one more drink'?"

Musk critic Brad Mines tweeted, "Isn't bribing people to vote a certain way election fraud?"

Another Musk critic, Brian Raymes, posted, "He's cheating: Requirements to get in are that you voted for his guy and the checks are simply door prizes. He is indirectly bribing and thinks it's morally and ethically fine. Power corrupts, absolutely."