WI Elections Commission Finds Elon Musk Likely Violated Bribery Law
Finds 'probable cause' billionaire broke the law in 2025, refers complaint to district attorney.
Elon Musk, right, hands a check to Nicholas Jacobs, president of the Wisconsin College Republicans, during a town hall in Green Bay on Sunday, May 30, 2025. Joe Schulz/WPR
The Wisconsin Elections Commission has referred two complaints against billionaire Elon Musk to the Brown County district attorney’s office, saying it found “probable cause” to believe Musk broke state election bribery laws last year.
Two letters sent to Musk and Wisconsin residents who filed the initial complaints state that the elections commission’s bipartisan board voted 5-1 last week on a motion finding probable cause that Musk violated the state’s election bribery statute, “by making a social media post that offered one million dollars to individuals who voted in the 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court Election in order to induce them to vote in that election.”
The actual complaints themselves are not publicly accessible under state law.
Musk was heavily involved in backing former Republican Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel’s campaign against current liberal Justice Susan Crawford. Musk and groups connected to him gave more than $20 million to support Schimel’s campaign and offered $100 payments to residents who signed a petition opposing “activist judges.” Musk also said he gave people in Green Bay and Eau Claire $1 million for signing the petition.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission letter, however, appears to focus on a specific post from Musk to his social media platform X on March 27, 2025, in which he announced he would “give a talk in Wisconsin” at an event where only “those who have voted in the Supreme Court election” would be allowed in.
“I will also personally hand over two checks for a million dollars each in appreciation for you taking the time to vote,” said Musk.
A post on the social media platform X from Elon Musk, which was deleted several hours later on Friday, March 27, 2025. Screenshot via X
He deleted the post the next day and replaced it with another stating that people who signed his petition “in opposition to activist judges” would be allowed in and the million-dollar payments were no longer just for those who voted.
Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul tried to stop Musk’s million-dollar giveaway, but his lawsuit was dismissed by a county circuit court, state appeals court and the Wisconsin Supreme Court. At the event, held in Green Bay on March 30, 2025, Musk handed out two large checks for a million dollars. One of them went to the state chair of the Wisconsin College Republicans.
With the elections commission’s referrals, it’s up to Republican Brown County District Attorney David Lasee to decide whether or not to file criminal charges.
WEC referrals follow civil suit alleging Musk was bribing Wisconsin voters
The commission’s revelation about Musk comes more than a year after the campaign watchdog group Wisconsin Democracy Campaign filed a lawsuit in Dane County Court alleging Musk and groups under his control participated in a “brazen scheme to bribe Wisconsin citizens to vote” for Schimel.
Attorney Jeff Mandel of the Madison-based liberal firm Law Forward is representing the Democracy Campaign in the suit. He told WPR it’s “no surprise” the elections commission referred the matter to the district attorney.
“We’ve long believed that what Elon Musk and two nonprofit organizations he controls did in Wisconsin as part of the spring 2025 election was illegal,” said Mandell. “In fact, our civil complaint was filed 13 months ago and is working its way through the courts.”
The case was transferred from Dane County to Brown County, which Mandell said his firm disagreed with. But regardless of whether DA Lasee files charges, the commission’s referral strengthens their argument.
“And regardless of how the Brown County DA chooses to deal with this, we are confident in our case and look forward to having our day in court,” said Mandell.
Wisconsin Elections Commission says Elon Musk likely violated bribery law was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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