Yes. On March 27, 2025, Elon Musk said he would give two $1 million checks to people who had voted in Wisconsin’s upcoming Supreme Court election. Less than a day later, he revised the offer’s stated terms: recipients would be petition signers who served as spokespeople, rather than people selected simply for having voted. In August 2026, a special prosecutor declined to bring criminal charges; a reported civil lawsuit remained pending.
What did Musk’s original $1 million offer say?
On March 27, 2025, Musk posted that he would personally give two $1 million checks in appreciation to people who had voted in Wisconsin’s April 2025 Supreme Court election. The wording connected the money to having voted. The Associated Press reported the original and revised posts and the later Green Bay event: AP’s August 25, 2026 report.
Less than a day later, Musk replaced the post. The revised wording described the recipients as people who had signed a petition against “activist judges” and would act as petition spokespeople. On March 30, he handed out two oversized checks at an event in Green Bay.
Why did the offer prompt an election-law dispute?
Wisconsin Stat. § 12.11(1m), quoted in a March 2025 emergency appellate filing by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, prohibits offering or giving something of value to induce an elector to go to or refrain from the polls, vote or refrain from voting, or vote for or against a person or referendum. The statutory language appears in the Wisconsin DOJ filing.
Recommended Free Tools
#1 Best Overall
The Attorney General’s filing argued that Musk’s initial post violated the law and sought emergency injunctive relief. That was the state’s legal argument in a filing, not a court ruling that Musk had violated the statute.
What did Wisconsin officials decide?
The Elections Commission referred complaints
In July 2026, the Wisconsin Elections Commission voted 5–1 to refer two complaints after finding probable cause that the original post likely violated the state’s election-bribery law, according to the Associated Press report of July 14, 2026. A probable-cause finding and referral are procedural steps; they are not a criminal conviction.
Rank #2
- Used Book in Good Condition
The special prosecutor declined criminal charges
On August 25, 2026, La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke, appointed as special prosecutor, decided not to file criminal charges. In the rationale reported by the AP and Wisconsin Public Radio, Gruenke considered the revised post, intent, and the fact that nobody was paid for voting or promising to vote. He characterized the episode as “a simple case of a poorly worded statement that was corrected and brought into compliance with the law.” That is the prosecutor’s explanation, not a court’s legal ruling.
Was Musk charged or found guilty?
No criminal charges were filed, and the commission’s earlier probable-cause finding was not a conviction. The prosecutor’s decision means he declined to pursue a criminal case; it should not be described as a court finding that the offer was lawful or as a criminal conviction.
Did the legal dispute end with the no-charge decision?
No. Wisconsin Public Radio reported that a civil suit brought by Wisconsin Democracy Campaign remained pending in Brown County after the criminal charging decision. The decision not to bring criminal charges did not itself resolve that separate case.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How large was the election, financially?
The money offer drew attention amid an unusually expensive race. The Associated Press reported that spending in the 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election topped $100 million; Musk and groups he supported spent at least $20 million backing Brad Schimel, who lost to Susan Crawford by 10 percentage points. Those figures provide context for the contest, but do not establish whether the elements of an election-law violation were met.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
