The bipartisan panel voted 5-1 to send two complaints to the Brown County District Attorney over $1 million checks distributed to voters.
10:52 PM
The Wisconsin Elections Commission has referred two complaints against billionaire Elon Musk to the Brown County District Attorney's office, finding probable cause that he violated the state's election bribery law by distributing $1 million checks to voters during the 2025 state Supreme Court election.
The bipartisan commission, composed of three Republicans and three Democrats, voted 5-1 last week to forward the complaints, according to multiple reports. Prosecutors have 40 days to report back to the commission on whether they will pursue criminal charges.
Musk's political action committee distributed the $1 million checks as part of a broader effort to support Republican candidate Brad Schimel's campaign for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Schimel lost by 10 percentage points to Democrat Susan Crawford, a former circuit court judge in Dane County. Musk and groups he supported spent at least $20 million on Schimel's campaign.
In addition to the $1 million checks, Musk offered other prizes ranging from $20 to $100 to people who signed a "Petition in Opposition to Activist Judges," according to reports. The commission found that Musk's posts on X offering $1 million to those who voted in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election showed probable cause that he violated state law prohibiting the offer of "anything of value" to induce a person to vote.
The complaints center on Musk's practice of handing out cash giveaways to voters during the election period. At least two voters received $1 million checks during town hall meetings Musk hosted, including one at the KI Convention Center in Green Bay on March 30, 2025.
Musk, the founder of SpaceX and CEO of Tesla, has been deeply involved in political spending aligned with Republican causes and former President Donald Trump. His involvement in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election followed his investment of millions of dollars in campaigns supporting Trump and Republican candidates.
It remains unclear whether Brown County District Attorney David Lasee will choose to bring criminal charges against Musk based on the commission's referral. CBS News reported that the office has not yet indicated its intentions regarding prosecution.
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