By July 14, 2026, the Wisconsin Elections Commission concluded that billionaire Elon Musk might have breached the state’s election bribery law. This conclusion arose from Musk allegedly offering $1 million checks to voters during a Wisconsin Supreme Court election. Musk’s political action committee had invested heavily in this election.
Composed of three Republicans and three Democrats, the commission voted 5-1 to forward two voter-submitted complaints against Musk to the Brown County District Attorney’s office. Emilee Miklas, the commission’s Communications Director, shared this information with CBS News. The committee’s motion highlighted “probable cause” suggesting Musk violated a state law prohibiting offering “anything of value” to induce voting.
The potential legal action hinges on Brown County District Attorney David Lasee’s decision—Lasee leads prosecutions in Green Bay’s county. CBS News sought comments from both Lasee and Musk regarding the situation.
The controversy centers around Musk’s pattern of offering cash incentives to voters signing his political group’s petitions. This practice began with his support of President Trump’s 2024 campaign and persisted through Wisconsin’s April 2025 judicial election.
In that election, Musk’s America PAC awarded $1 million checks to three voters who signed a petition opposing “activist judges.” Musk’s group invested millions backing GOP-endorsed Judge Brad Schimel for a Supreme Court seat. However, Schimel lost to Democrat-endorsed Judge Susan Crawford. At that point, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, sought to block Musk’s payouts, accusing him of illegal inducements. Musk’s attorneys countered by claiming the actions were protected under free speech. Though the state’s highest court opted not to review the matter, Musk distributed large novelty checks to select voters at a rally shortly before the election.
Elon Musk presented a $1 million check to Nicholas Jacobs at a town hall in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on March 30, 2025.
Subsequently, an advocacy group filed a lawsuit against Musk and America PAC in state court. They argued the cash distributions violated state law regarding election bribery and amounted to an unauthorized lottery. Musk’s legal representatives petitioned for the suit’s dismissal. As of now, this case remains unresolved.
Musk’s actions also evoked reactions in other swing states during the 2024 presidential election. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, a Democrat, filed a lawsuit against Musk for offering daily $1 million checks to Pennsylvania voters. Krasner claimed these violated both election and lottery laws. Despite this, Musk’s lawyers defended the strategy, asserting it as “core political speech.” A judge permitted the payouts to proceed.