‘This is what corruption looks like’
Elon Musk has given $1 million (£773 million) cheques to two Wisconsin voters who had signed a online petition against “activist judges” ahead of tomorrow’s high-stakes supreme court election.
The election will determine which party will control a court that rules on abortion and voting rights.
The tech billionaire, who leads Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has called the race critical to President agenda and “the future of civilisation”.
Musk and groups he supports have spent more than $20 million (£15.4 million) to help Republican favourite Brad Schimel in Tuesday’s race.
In a viral post on Blue Sky, pro-democracy news network Meidas Touch shared photos of Musk handing over the cheques, with the caption: “This is what corruption looks like”.
Democratic candidate Susan Crawford and her allies have also been protesting against the influence they say Musk wants to have on the court.
In addition to pouring in money to help the Republican candidate win, Musk is warning that if the Democrats win, the state high court may redistrict congressional districts, which could affect which party controls the US House of Representatives.
“And 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,” Musk claimed.
“Then they will try to stop all the government reforms we are getting done for you, the American people.”
Democratic attorney general Josh Kaul submitted a legal challenge to Musk’s giveaway.
Kaul’s appeal argued Wisconsin law “prohibits offering anything of value to induce anyone to vote”, but the Wisconsin Supreme Court refused to hear the appeal.
This isn’t the first time Musk has given away money to voters. He also offered a giveaway in battleground states before November’s US presidential elections.
At the time, a judge ruled that the giveaways could continue.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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