Musk rewards members of Congress for efforts to limit judges' power: report

A report published in The Washington Post on Thursday revealed tech billionaire Elon Musk funnelled substantial funds in late March to support Republican Congress members who backed legislation aimed at impeaching judges or limiting their authority. The report cites new filings, indicating this effort aligns with his campaign to penalize judges who make rulings unfavorable to the Trump administration.

"The spending, which totaled $144,400 in support of nearly two dozen members of Congress, was disclosed Tuesdayin filings to the Federal Election Commission.While the amount is a fraction of the millions he shelled out for Republican candidates before the November election, the spending so early in the 2026 midterm cycle further cements the billionaire’s long-term involvement in GOP politics despite a decisive loss for his preferred candidate in this month’s Wisconsin Supreme Court race," The Post reported.

The filings from the principal campaign committees of the members provide only a limited view of Musk's political expenditures during the first quarter of 2025, per The Post. Additional funding channels managed by Musk, such as his America PAC, are not obligated to submit reports until the end of July.

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In several instances, Musk's contributions were reportedly made right after House members introduced or supported legislation aimed at specific judges.

Reps. Brandon Gill (R-TX), Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IW) are among the lawmakers who received donations from Musk after introducing steps to limit judges' powers.

Earlier this month — when liberal Dane County Judge Susan Crawford defeated conservative Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Brad Schimel in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election, despite Musk spending tens of millions of dollars to back Schimel — the billionaire faced heavy criticism.

But despite this loss in Wisconsin, Musk intends to continue making efforts to support GOP candidates, per the Post.

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One specific target of Musk's efforts has been Chief Judge James E. Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, who has made several rulings unfavorable to the Trump administration.

On Wednesday, Boasberg cited a “willful disregard" and found probable cause that the Trump administration could be held in criminal contempt of court after officials defied his order to not remove Venezuelan migrants from the country based on a centuries-old wartime law.

Boasberg, first appointed to the federal bench by President George W. Bush, said he would launch proceedings to determine whether to hold Trump administration officials in criminal contempt.