Key facts
- Elon Musk will not face election bribery charges in Wisconsin.
- Musk had posted on social media about giving $1 million to voters in a 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election.
- The initial post was replaced with a clarification that money would be for petition spokesmen, not for voting.
- A special prosecutor determined that no jury would find the posts constituted election bribery.
- The Wisconsin Elections Commission had previously voted to refer the case for possible charges.
Elon Musk will not face charges in Wisconsin over social media posts made before the 2025 Supreme Court election, according to a state prosecutor. La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke, appointed as a special prosecutor, announced Tuesday that he did not believe a jury would convict Musk of election bribery.
At issue were two social media posts Musk made days before the election. The first stated he would personally hand over two $1 million checks in appreciation for people voting. Less than a day later, Musk replaced the post, clarifying that attendance at an event would be limited to those who signed a petition against activist judges, and the money would be given to individuals who would advocate for the petition.
The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission had previously voted 5-1 to refer two complaints to the Brown County district attorney's office, stating Musk likely broke the law. However, Gruenke concluded that even if the first post could be perceived as a bribe, the subsequent correction and the fact that no one was paid anything of value for voting meant a conviction was unlikely.
Gruenke described the situation as a "simple case of a poorly worded statement that was corrected and brought into compliance with the law," stripping away the "famous name" and large sum involved. Musk's representatives have not commented on the decision. Spending on the Wisconsin Supreme Court election exceeded $100 million, with Musk and his supported groups contributing at least $20 million to the losing candidate, Brad Schimel.