New lawsuit alleges “brazen scheme” backed by Elon Musk and affiliated groups to bribe voters in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race

MADISON, Wis. – Law Forward, Democracy Defenders Fund, and Hecker Fink LLP filed a lawsuit on behalf of the nonpartisan Wisconsin Democracy Campaign and a group of Wisconsin voters, alleging that billionaire Elon Musk and affiliated entities violated multiple Wisconsin laws—including the election-bribery statute—during the 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election.

The complaint alleges a brazen, illegal scheme to induce Wisconsin citizens to vote. It further alleges that the scheme was orchestrated by Musk, America PAC, and United States of America Inc. to influence the outcome of the election through illegal payments, including three $1 million “awards” to Wisconsinites who voted for the Musk-endorsed candidate, Judge Brad Schimel.

“We are fighting for free and fair elections,” said Attorney Jeff Mandell of Law Forward. “We believe our democracy demands better than schemes like the one detailed in our complaint. So, we are working to hold Musk accountable and stop this from becoming the new normal.”

“Actions like the one detailed in our complaint undermine public confidence in our elections. They send the unmistakable message that money, rather than votes, wins elections,” said Norm Eisen, Co-Founder of Democracy Defenders Fund. “We are working relentlessly with our friends at Law Forward and Hecker Fink LLP to put a stop to this.”

“The fairness of our elections and the independence of our judiciary are paramount. We are proud to partner with our friends at Law Forward and Democracy Defenders on this timely and important case,” said John Quinn of Hecker Fink LLP.

The complaint, filed in Dane County Circuit Court, alleges that Musk and affiliated entities engaged in a civil conspiracy to violate Wisconsin laws against election bribery and unlawful lotteries, as well as created a public nuisance.

The lawsuit alleges that, in the closing days of the 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election, Musk, the world’s richest man, and his affiliated political organizations injected tens of millions into the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, including by paying millions directly to Wisconsin voters. As the complaint alleges, Musk conspired with the other defendants to develop and implement a brazen scheme to influence Wisconsinites to vote for Musk’s endorsed candidate. First, they offered registered voters $100 to sign a petition that echoed the campaign rhetoric of the Musk-endorsed candidate. Second, as detailed in the complaint, they dangled million dollar “awards” before Wisconsinites who signed that petition and voted (or promised to vote). Musk stated that the $1 million awards would be given “in appreciation for you taking the time to vote.”

Wisconsin law prohibits offering, giving, and/or promising to give any amount of money over $1 to induce anyone to (a) go to the polls, (b) vote, and/or (c) vote for a particular person. The lawsuit contends that, by offering and paying Wisconsin citizens amounts far greater than $1 to induce them to vote, defendants violated Wisconsin’s election-bribery law.

“Our democracy can’t be sold to the highest bidder. Our complaint alleges that Elon Musk and his affiliated groups orchestrated a brazen scheme to bribe voters with the prospect of million-dollar awards in an effort to tilt the outcome of the race to their liking,” said Attorney Jeff Mandell of Law Forward. “This lawsuit is a critical step in protecting free and fair elections and ensuring laws that prohibit this behavior are enforced.”

A copy of the complaint can be found here.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.