By Gloria Ogbonna

Tech billionaire Elon Musk made waves in Wisconsin on Sunday night, personally handing out $1 million checks to two local voters in a dramatic show of support for conservative Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel.

With a towering influence over the upcoming election, Musk framed the race as pivotal to Donald Trump’s agenda and even “the future of civilization.”

Clad in a yellow cheesehead hat, Musk addressed a crowd of nearly 2,000 people in Green Bay, emphasizing the significance of Tuesday’s election.

“It’s a super big deal,” Musk said. “I’m not phoning it in. I’m here in person.”

A Battle Over Wisconsin’s Supreme Court

Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race has become one of the most consequential in recent history, as the court is poised to decide key issues such as congressional redistricting, abortion rights, union power, and voting rules.

Musk, through his affiliated groups, has poured more than $20 million into the election to back Schimel, who is vying to shift the court’s 4-3 liberal majority in favor of conservatives. His opponent, Susan Crawford, is the Democratic-backed candidate with the endorsement of all four sitting liberal justices.

Musk’s presence and financial involvement have drawn sharp criticism from Crawford’s supporters, who argue he is attempting to buy influence over Wisconsin’s judiciary.

“I think this will be important for the future of civilization,” Musk declared during his speech. “It’s that significant.”

He warned that the state’s high court could play a decisive role in redrawing congressional districts, which could impact Republican representation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“If the Wisconsin Supreme Court is able to redraw the districts, they will gerrymander the district and deprive Wisconsin of two seats on the Republican side,” Musk claimed. “Then they will try to stop all the government reforms we are getting done for you, the American people.”

Controversy Over Musk’s $1 Million Giveaways

Musk’s high-profile stunt nearly faced a legal roadblock. Wisconsin’s Democratic Attorney General, Josh Kaul, attempted to halt Musk’s payments, arguing that his actions violated state election laws, which prohibit offering incentives to vote.

“Wisconsin law prohibits offering anything of value to induce anyone to vote,” Kaul said in his filing. “Yet, Elon Musk did just that.”

Despite these objections, the Wisconsin Supreme Court—currently controlled by liberals—declined to intervene, allowing Musk’s checks to be distributed just minutes before the rally. The court gave no explanation for its decision.

Musk’s attorneys defended the payments as a form of political free speech, arguing that restricting them would violate both Wisconsin and U.S. constitutional rights.

A Strategy Musk Has Used Before

Musk’s political action committee has employed similar tactics in the past. Before the 2024 presidential election, it offered to pay $1 million per day to voters in Wisconsin and six other battleground states who signed a petition in favor of the First and Second Amendments.

At the time, a Pennsylvania judge ruled that the initiative did not constitute an illegal lottery and allowed it to proceed through Election Day.

Liberal Justices Refuse to Step Aside

Hours before Musk’s rally, his attorneys filed a request for two liberal justices—Jill Karofsky and Rebecca Dallet—to recuse themselves from the case, citing their past campaigning for Susan Crawford.

Had they stepped aside, it would have shifted the court’s balance to a 3-2 conservative majority. However, both justices denied the request, stating they would explain their reasoning at a later time.

Meanwhile, Schimel, Musk’s favored candidate, has distanced himself from outside spending but reaffirmed his conservative stance.

“I don’t control any of the spending from any outside group, whether it’s Elon Musk or anyone else,” Schimel said during a national television interview on Sunday.

“All Trump asked was whether I would reject activist judges and follow the law. That’s exactly what I’ve committed to anybody—whether it’s President Trump, Elon Musk, or voters in Wisconsin.”

A Record-Breaking Judicial Race

The Wisconsin Supreme Court race has shattered national spending records, with more than $81 million poured into the election—the most ever spent on a judicial contest.

With Wisconsin’s high court expected to weigh in on issues that could shape the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential election, the stakes could not be higher.

As Tuesday’s election looms, Musk’s involvement has only added fuel to an already intense political fire, leaving voters to decide whether his millions will influence the state’s highest court—or whether the people will push back against his efforts.

Source ABC7