Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
Read more
Elon Musk said he will hand out an additional $2 million to voters who have cast their ballots in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election this weekend — less than 24 hours after paying a resident a $1 million award for supporting a petition against “activist judges.”
The world’s richest person wrote on his X platform early Friday morning that he will “personally hand over” $1 million each to two voters after giving a talk in the Badger State this weekend.
On April 1, voters in Wisconsin will cast their ballots in the highly contentious and consequential election. So far, Musk has poured $20 million into the campaign coffers of conservative candidate Brad Schimel.
“On Sunday night, I will give a talk in Wisconsin. Entrance is limited to those who have voted in the Supreme Court election,” Musk tweeted, without stating where or how to enforce who is allowed to attend. “I will also personally hand over two checks for a million dollars each in appreciation for you taking the time to vote.”
“This is super important,” he concluded.
open image in gallery
Schimel’s opponent, the liberal Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, took to X to share her disdain with Musk’s latest giveaway.
“Brad Schimel and Elon Musk are corrupt,” she tweeted late Friday morning, sharing an Associated Press article about the latest handout.
Crawford’s campaign spokesperson, Derrick Honeyman, told the Associated Press that Musk’s visit to Wisconsin was a “last-minute desperate distraction.”
A win for Schimel, a former GOP state attorney general, would see the court flip to a conservative majority, which could have implications for the state on issues ranging from abortion to redistricting. Justice Ann Walsh Bradley retired after 30 years on the court, freeing up the seat.
Musk announced Thursday that he had given away $1 million through his super-political action committee America PAC to Scott Ainsworth, a Green Bay resident who signed his “Petition in Opposition to Activist Judges.”
Days earlier, America PAC had offered Wisconsin voters $100 to sign the petition.
open image in gallery
The Supreme Court race has dwarfed previous spending records for a U.S. judicial election, with more than $81 million spent so far. The previous record was set in Wisconsin two years ago and was estimated at $51 million.
President Donald Trump has endorsed Schimel and hosted a telephone town hall with him on Thursday night.
“It’s a very important race,” Trump said. “I know you feel it’s local, but it’s not. It’s really much more than local. The whole country is watching.”
Musk has been treading murky legal waters, with questions raised about whether the petition violated Wisconsin law, which makes it a felony to offer anything to entice a voter to cast a ballot—or not vote.
A legal challenge to the tech billionaire’s payments could end up before the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Musk became involved in the race days after his electric vehicle Tesla filed a petition against the state in January after it was denied the request open dealerships there a month earlier.
Crawford and her allies have accused Musk of trying to buy influence on the court given that Tesla’s lawsuit could end up before the justices.
