Wisconsin courts allow Musk’s $2M election giveaway

The tech billionaire on Sunday gave $1 million each to two Wisconsin signers of his petition condemning judicial activism. Musk awarded the funds during a rally in Green Bay, where he spoke to about 2,000 people about an upcoming race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Musk and the groups he funds have spent about $20 million supporting Brad Schimel, the Trump-backed candidate for the court seat.

Minutes before the rally, current members of the Wisconsin Supreme Court unanimously rejected Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul’s request to block the giveaway. The court did not explain the denial. All four of its liberal members have campaigned for Schimel’s opponent in the race, while one of the minority conservative justices publicly supported Schimel, according to WisPolitics. Former President Barack Obama last week endorsed Schimel’s opponent, Dane County Judge Susan Crawford.

Musk originally planned to give millions away to people who voted in the election but he later backtracked and designated the funds for signers of his petition. Democrats said his original plan could violate state election bribery laws, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

Why is the Wisconsin Supreme Court race important? Musk at the rally and on social media said the election is vital because Wisconsin Democrats want to redraw voting districts and gain more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, a process historically known as gerrymandering. Musk expects the Wisconsin Supreme Court to take up the issue. The court is currently a 4-3 liberal majority. If Schimel wins, he’ll flip the court conservative.

Who is projected to win the court seat? The Tuesday race between Schimel and Crawford is a close one. Polls have returned mixed results, showing the two tied or Crawford slightly ahead.