Elon Musk deleted a tweet on Friday where he had announced plans to hold a rally in Wisconsin and give away $2 million to two voters in the state’s heated Supreme Court race. The tweet, posted Thursday night, offered $1 million each to two voters who had already cast their ballots.
Musk removed the tweet about 12 hours after posting it, just two days before the election. The giveaway was planned for Sunday, but Wisconsin law clearly forbids offering money or anything of value in exchange for votes.
In his original post, Musk said the event would only be open to people who had voted in the Supreme Court election, but he didn’t explain how he would verify that. He also didn’t say how the two voters were selected.
The Supreme Court race in Wisconsin has become a high-stakes contest, drawing national attention. It’s also become a point of focus for Musk, who has been involved in the race by funding political action committees. The election will decide which side controls the court, which is crucial for upcoming cases on issues like abortion rights and gerrymandering.
Musk’s tweet raised legal concerns because offering money for votes is illegal under federal law, and it could violate Wisconsin’s state laws as well. Legal experts and watchdogs were quick to point out the risks of Musk’s announcement. Despite deleting the tweet, the incident drew significant attention, with millions seeing it before it was removed.
The Wisconsin law makes it a felony to give or promise something of value to influence someone’s vote, and Musk’s actions could have faced legal challenges. Any legal case related to this could eventually land in front of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the very body that’s at the center of the race.
The race has seen huge amounts of money pouring in, with Musk spending over $20 million to support Brad Schimel, a conservative candidate. Meanwhile, liberal-backed candidates like Susan Crawford have received significant funding from other sources, including $2 million from billionaire George Soros.
Musk’s involvement has raised questions about his potential influence on the court, especially since his company Tesla is in a legal battle with Wisconsin. This has led to accusations that Musk may be trying to sway the court in his favor, as the state’s justices could end up ruling on Tesla’s lawsuit.
With so much money and attention focused on the race, the outcome will likely have a lasting impact on the state’s laws and possibly national politics. The total spending in the race has already surpassed $81 million, breaking the record for spending on a judicial race in the U.S.
This is what it looked like:
Now, the tweet looks like this:
