(Screengrab via CNN)
Conservative never-Trump attorney George Conway told CNN viewers Monday afternoon that tech billionaire Elon Musk committed a crime with his latest spectacle: doling out $1 million payments to voters ahead of a widely watched Wisconsin Supreme Court race.
The race, slated for Tuesday, has garnered national attention due to its significant implications on both state and national politics. The court's decisions — currently leaning 4-3 liberal — could shape critical issues on abortion, voting regulations, and collective bargaining, and could tilt a ruling on the state's redrawing of its congressional districts.
CNN anchor Jake Tapper brought on Conway to talk about the legality of Musk's giveaway of two $1 million checks to people who signed a petition against "so-called activist judges."
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"There is a difference between traditionally millionaires or George Soros flooding a race of any sort by hiring activists and getting ads, and actually just getting direct payments for people who register to vote," said Tapper. "Is it legal?"
Conway gave a blunt evaluation of the situation.
It's illegal. It's criminal, in fact, in virtually all states, including Wisconsin, to pay people for having voted, to pay people to register to vote and to reward them for voting," he said.
Conway noted that Musk took down his initial social media post claiming he would pay a voter $1 million. Musk had to backtrack and say he was paying for people to sign a petition.
"If he's not engaging in outright illegal activity, he's on the cusp of it. It is just so unseemly."
The questionable legality of the payment notwithstanding, Conway flagged a "bigger" issue.
"The bigger problem, though, is, to me, the politicization of our courts. It's bad enough that we have judicial elections. I know many states do. Mostly, they've been quiet and nonpartisan. But the escalation of spending by both sides to some extent but now taken to a completely new level by Musk and Republicans is very disturbing."
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