MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Billionaire Elon Musk likely broke Wisconsin law when he handed out $1 million checks to voters in the 2025 state Supreme Court election, a bipartisan panel has found.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission last week referred two complaints to the Brown County district attorney’s office, which can choose to bring criminal charges over violating the state law against election bribery. Prosecutors have 40 days to report back to the commission.
Musk, the founder of SpaceX and CEO of Tesla, was deeply involved in the effort to flip majority control of the highest court in battleground Wisconsin.
The tech titan and groups he supported spent at least $20 million on the candidate backed by Republicans, Brad Schimel. However, he lost by 10 percentage points to Democratic-backed candidate Susan Crawford.
A month after the lopsided loss, Musk announced that he would be spending far less on political campaigns. Spending on the election topped $100 million, making it the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history.
Prosecutors will decide if Musk should be charged over the $1 million checks
The complaints, which are confidential under state law, were brought by voters in Milwaukee and Green Bay, which is in Brown County. Musk handed out checks at a rally there just days before the election.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission, consisting of three Democrats and three Republicans, voted 5-1 in closed session on Thursday to refer the complaints to the district attorney, the commission’s spokesperson Emilee Miklas said.
Brown County District Attorney David Lasee, a Republican, did not immediately return a message seeking comment Tuesday.
The motion approved by the elections commission said it found probable cause that Musk broke Wisconsin law by making a social media post offering $1 million to people who voted in the Supreme Court election “in order to induce them to vote in that election.”
How about we arrest and charge that motherfucker?
Can’t do that. It would be bad for business.
Crooks who do tyranny, specially publicly, have no reason to be allowed to continue doing business
That’s the thing we’re all fighting for thousands to pay rent and buy food. Some bastard who steals $1M literally gets someone killed, that’s like 20 people getting laid off, 20 households that wont have money for medicine housing and food, but the rich asshole gets a slap on the wrist because he didn’t do anything violent with his body. He just clicked a button and stole millions, but that’s way more damaging to society and kills people in a way that a shoplifter would never be able to even if they shoplifted every single day.
Look what happened when Bear Sterns stopped doing business
I mean isn’t it kinda a miracle his businesses still operate, one could argue it’s actually good for business.
Unfortunately, the ones that are supposed to do that, all work with him. I mean it’s so obviously clear at this point. So many things have happened in this past little while that should have been instant arrest or investigations, or you know, just plain people getting fired or removal from offices. But it’s clear, they all work together.
I guess you could say, the justice system overwhelmingly (not everyone but most) works for the executive branch now. It bows down like a little bitch and licks the executive branch boots.
It always has worked for the executive branch. The difference is the executive branch used to pretend to be impartial and find the best person for the job, and leave them alone to do it. These days the corruption is expected, and even desired, by a large portion of the American population.
Exactly trump voters all have their little scams going that’s why they vote for him, they’re stealing too.
I have different kind of french idea, but I won’t elaborate on that
No shit
He did. They should make his punishment consist primarily of public service. Like 20,000 hours that has to be completed within 4 years.
His money is endless, but not his time.
If he has to spend eight hours a day 5 days a week for the next 4 years picking up trash along the side of the road, he’s not going to have time to try to interfere with elections.
And he may actually learn a lesson about hard work. That’s what justice is supposed to look like.
Cruel and unusual! Working a real labor job? He’d be dead within a week!
So win win then
If he has to spend eight hours a day 5 days a week for the next 4 years picking up trash along the side of the road, he’s not going to have time to try to interfere with elections.
That still leaves the weekend and the remaining 16 hours a day. You would think that’s not enough time to do anything extracurricular, but you might be surprised how much sleep can be skipped during a drug-fueled manic episode.
I like this, but partially because the maths makes it even worse than you stated:
20,000 h / (365.25 d * 4) ≈ 13.7 hrs/day
Sounds fair to me.
Fine him equal to the money he spent on the election. And make him pay it back by working minimum wage with no access to his wealth until he’s paid his debts.
Minimum wage would skyrocket.
His time is not endless?? This really is the worst timeline
Likely?
It’s called buying votes.
No one has any spine anymore
No kidding, I like how they say “broke the law” like anything is going to happen.
I mean the cost benefit here to wisconsin is low so I see why politicians would be afraid to prosecute the world’s richest man who is backed by the US government and is also one of the largest election donors in the country. Why should they alone fall on what will inevitably be a sword.
On the other hand unless his businesses are in your state its probably going to benefit you in the long run to prosecute an out of state billionaire running amok in your elections.
They’re so terrified of setting the precedent of sending a rich person to prison. If a crime of this magnitude was committed by a poor person they would be disappeared for eternity.
The amount of damage DOGE did, just so he could shut down all the investigations into his companies, is incalculable. He belongs in prison for the rest of his life.
Probably worse if we’re honest.
I won’t get in the way, if they want to drop him in the middle of a refugee zone, and let him explain himself.
So it turns out that all this time a law is only really a law if it’s enforced. Most of my life I assumed laws were laws when they became laws. But nope, the past few years have demonstrated that my assumption was false.
So no, he didn’t break any Wisconsin laws because they ain’t gonna do shit.
It depends how rich and well connected you are. Always has.
Removed by mod
Likely!?!
I’m so sick of this kid glove horseshit.
Epstein Island is likely illegal, but a trans immigrant merely existing is definitely a domestic terrorist.
yet nobody did anything for 1+years, not even the DNC which they dint bother do any investigating the election machines.
And???
It ain’t like the “justice system” is going to do jack shit about it. You have to be poor in order to get your ass thrown in prison.
Next time I break the law I’ll take my punishment as a sternly worded letter from the doj too thanks.
Throw that bitch ass in prison
So fucking do something already.
No kidding bribing people to vote is clearly illegal.
Whoa! I know a whole set of Americans who are apparently really upset at immigrants coming and breaking the law, or so they say. This will be the top story on Fox News any minute now.
Unfortunately though, he’s too rich for consequences, and if recent history has shown us anything, it’s that our corpo overlords think no consequences == no crime.
Also no negative effect on the people in charge = no crime
