Elon Musk hands out million-dollar checks after court victory in Wisconsin
Elon Musk gives $1M checks at Wisconsin PAC town hall (Photo: Getty Images)
After the Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected Attorney General Josh Kaul’s attempt to block the distribution of million-dollar checks, Elon Musk handed out two $1 million checks at a rally in Green Bay to support conservative candidate Brad Schimel, reports ABC News.
On Sunday evening, just hours after the court refused to block his initiative, Elon Musk took the stage in Green Bay and gave away two million-dollar checks to rally attendees. One of the lucky recipients was Nicholas Jacobs, chair of the Wisconsin College Republicans. During his speech, Musk urged the audience to support Brad Schimel in Tuesday’s election, stating that it would determine not only the control of the House of Representatives but also "the future of civilization."
Earlier, Attorney General Josh Kaul filed an emergency lawsuit to halt the check distribution, arguing that Musk was violating state laws by offering financial incentives for voting. Columbia County Circuit Court Judge W. Andrew Voigt refused to hear the case before the rally, prompting Kaul to appeal to the Court of Appeals, which also dismissed the request. Kaul then sought intervention from the state Supreme Court but was again unsuccessful.
Political scandal and election preparations
Musk’s lawyers attempted to disqualify Wisconsin Supreme Court Justices Rebecca Frank Dallet and Jill J. Karofsky, arguing that both campaigned for candidate Susan Crawford, who had criticized Musk. However, the Supreme Court also denied this request.
Musk and his political organization, America PAC, argued that the checks were part of spokesperson agreements with PAC representatives. Nevertheless, Kaul maintained that offering payments to voters in exchange for participating in elections violates state law, which prohibits providing incentives to vote or refrain from voting.
Musk continues funding the campaign
In addition to giving out checks, Musk announced the launch of the "Block Captain" program, where participants will earn $20 for every photo they post featuring a person holding a Schimel sign with a thumbs up. America PAC and Building America’s Future have already invested around $20 million in support of Schimel’s candidacy for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, making it the most expensive state Supreme Court race in Wisconsin’s history.
As political tensions rise, Wisconsin voters are preparing for the crucial election on Tuesday.
