GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) 鈥� gave out $1 million checks on Sunday to two Wisconsin voters, declaring them spokespeople for his political group, ahead of a Wisconsin Supreme Court election that the tech billionaire cast as critical to President agenda and 鈥渢he future of civilization.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a super big deal,鈥� he told a roughly 2,000-person crowd in Green Bay on Sunday night, taking the stage in a yellow cheesehead hat. 鈥淚鈥檓 not phoning it in. I鈥檓 here in person.鈥�
Musk and groups he supports have spent more than $20 million to help conservative favorite Brad Schimel in Tuesday's race, which will determine the ideological makeup of a court likely to decide key issues in a perennial battleground state. Musk has increasingly become the center of the contest, with liberal favorite Susan Crawford and her allies protesting Musk and what they say is the influence he wants to have on the court.
鈥淚 think this will be important for the future of civilization,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 that鈥檚 significant.鈥�
He noted that the state high court may well take up redistricting of congressional districts, which could ultimately affect which party controls the U.S. House.
鈥淎nd if the (Wisconsin) Supreme Court is able to redraw the districts, they will gerrymander the district and deprive Wisconsin of two seats on the Republican side,鈥� Musk said. 鈥淭hen they will try to stop all the government reforms we are getting done for you, the American people.鈥�
A unanimous state Supreme Court on Sunday refused to hear a last-minute attempt by the state's Democratic attorney general to stop Musk to two voters, a ruling that came just minutes before the planned start of the rally.
Two lower courts had already by Democrat Josh Kaul, who argues that Musk's offer violates a state law. 鈥淲isconsin law prohibits offering anything of value to induce anyone to vote,鈥� Kaul argued in his filing. 鈥淵et, Elon Musk did just that.鈥�
But the state Supreme Court, which is currently controlled 4-3 by liberal justices, declined to take the case as an original action. The court gave no rationale for its decision.
Kaul had no immediate comment on the court's order.
Musk鈥檚 attorneys argued in filings with the court that Musk was exercising his free speech rights with the giveaways and any attempt to restrict that would violate both the Wisconsin and U.S. constitutions.
The payments are 鈥渋ntended to generate a grassroots movement in opposition to activist judges, not to expressly advocate for or against any candidate,鈥� Musk鈥檚 attorneys argued in court filings.
Musk鈥檚 political action committee used before the presidential election last year, $1 million a day to voters in Wisconsin and six other battleground states who signed a petition supporting the First and Second amendments. A judge in Pennsylvania said prosecutors the effort was an illegal lottery and allowed it to continue through Election Day.
Liberals currently hold a 4-3 majority on the court. All four liberal justices have endorsed Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, the Democratic-backed candidate.
Musk鈥檚 attorneys, about four hours before the rally was to begin, asked that two liberal justices who have campaigned for Crawford 鈥� Jill Karofsky and Rebecca Dallet 鈥� recuse themselves from the case. His attorneys argued their work for Crawford creates 鈥渢he specter of inappropriate bias.鈥� If they did recuse, that would leave the court with a 3-2 conservative majority.
Both justices rejected the request and said they would spell out their reasons why at a later date.
One of the court's conservative justices has endorsed Schimel, who wore a 鈥淢ake America Great Again" hat while campaigning Sunday.
Schimel said in a national television interview that he does not control 鈥渁ny of the spending from any outside group, whether it鈥檚 Elon Musk or anyone else鈥� and that all Trump asked was whether he would 鈥渞eject activist judges" and follow the law.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 exactly what I鈥檝e committed to anybody, whether it鈥檚 President Trump, Elon Musk or any donors and donors or supporters or voters in Wisconsin. That鈥檚 my commitment,鈥� Schimel told 鈥淔ox News Sunday.鈥�
The contest has shattered national spending records for a judicial election, with more than $81 million in spending.
It comes as Wisconsin鈥檚 highest court is expected to rule on , , and voting rules that could affect the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential election in the state.
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Associated Press writer Gary Fields in Washington contributed to this report.
Thomas Beaumont And Scott Bauer, The Associated Press
