Elon Musk faces legal action over $1.75m offer in Wisconsin court race

AFP

28 Mar, 2025 10:21 PM2 mins to read

Demonstrators protest outside of an event hosted by Circuit Court Judge Brad Schimel, who has been endorsed by US President Donald Trump and financially supported by billionaire Elon Musk. Photo / Getty Images

Elon Musk faces legal action for promising US$1 million ($1.75m) to influence Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race.
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul seeks a court order to stop Musk’s offer.
Musk’s actions aim to support Republican Brad Schimel, affecting key issues such as abortion and voting rules.

Billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk faced an immediate legal challenge Friday to his promise to give US$1 million ($1.75m) to two voters in Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race in his latest attempt to use his vast fortune to sway the results of crucial US votes.

Wisconsin Attorney-General Josh Kaul wrote on Instagram that his office was “aware of the offer recently posted by Elon Musk” and said he plans to “take legal action today to seek a court order to stop this from happening”.

Musk, the world’s richest person and one of US President Donald Trump’s top advisers, has already spent millions trying to boost support for Republican Brad Schimel, who would tilt the swing state’s top court to a conservative majority if elected.

White House senior adviser Elon Musk is offering US$1m ($1.75m) to two voters in his latest attempt to sway the results of a crucial US vote. Photo / Getty Images

The Tesla and SpaceX tycoon announced on X, which he also owns, that he would “hand over checks for a million dollars” to two people who sign a petition opposing “activist judges” – a term used by Republicans for judges who rule against some of Trump’s policies.

He has also offered US$100 to anyone signing the petition.

Serious national issues are on the docket for the Wisconsin court’s next term, including abortion access and rules for voting in the crucial 2026 mid-term nationwide congressional elections.

Schimel is also openly backed by Trump, who wrote on his Truth Social platform this week that the race is “really big and important”.

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The latest stunt was a redux of Musk’s earlier million-dollar prizes in battleground states during the presidential election.

The entrepreneur has rapidly emerged as one of the most powerful people in the country, with huge government contracts for his companies and a free-ranging role in Trump’s administration to slash spending on everything from foreign policy to domestic programs.

In January, Tesla – currently facing tumbling stock prices amid consumer anger at Musk – took Wisconsin to court over the state’s denial of dealer licences for the automotive company.

– Agence France-Presse