Musk Scrubs Post Offering $2M to Wisconsin Voters

Billionaire Elon Musk on Friday deleted a social media post in which he'd announced plans to hold a rally in Wisconsin to "personally hand over" $2 million to a pair of voters who've already cast their ballots in the state's hotly contested Supreme Court race. Musk deleted the post from his social media platform, X, about 12 hours after he initially posted it late Thursday night, per the AP.

• The contenders: Former state Attorney General Brad Schimel, now a Waukesha County judge who's endorsed by President Trump, faces Dane County Judge Susan Crawford in Tuesday's election. Crawford is backed by a wide range of Democrats, including the liberal justices who hold a 4-3 majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, as well as former President Obama. The retirement this year of a liberal justice puts majority control of the court in play.

• The offer: Musk had posted that he planned to give $1 million each to two voters at the event on Sunday, just two days before the election that will determine ideological control of the court in the battleground state. The action was announced despite a Wisconsin law that explicitly prohibits giving anything of value in exchange for a vote.
• More from Musk: Musk said that attendance at his talk would be limited only to those who've voted in the Supreme Court election, without explaining how he'd verify that. "I will also personally hand over two checks for a million dollars each in appreciation for you taking the time to vote," Musk posted. "This is super important." He didn't say how the two people would be chosen.
• Money already flowing: Musk earlier this week said he'd awarded a voter in Green Bay $1 million for signing a petition his PAC created targeting activist judges. Andrew Romeo, a rep for the PAC, declined to say whether that person was one of the two who'd be receiving $1 million on Sunday as initially indicated. Romeo didn't immediately respond to a message asking why Musk's post was deleted.
• Legalities: Musk also promised $100 to any registered Wisconsin voter who signed the petition or forwarded it to someone who did, raising questions about whether the petition violated the Wisconsin law that makes it a felony to offer, give, lend, or promise to lend or give anything of value to induce a voter to cast a ballot or not vote. Any legal challenge to Musk's payments could end up before the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

(More Elon Musk stories.)