Full Breakdown
Elon Musk Avoids Wisconsin Election-Bribery Charges
8/26/2026, 12:59:05 AM
Decision Not to Pursue Criminal Charges
La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke announced his office will not file criminal charges against billionaire Elon Musk for posts made ahead of the 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election. Gruenke said the first post was “poorly worded and ambiguous,” but the follow-up clarification “corrected the problem relatively quickly” and that “nobody was paid anything of value for voting or promising to vote.” He concluded a jury could not be convinced the posts violated Wisconsin’s election-bribery statutes.
Timeline of the Controversy
- March 27, 2025 – Musk posted on X, offering two $1 million checks to attendees of a Wisconsin talk, limited to those who had voted in the Supreme Court election.
- Within 12 hours – Musk clarified that entry required signing a petition opposing “activist judges” and that the checks would go to two spokespersons for the petition.
- March 30, 2025 – Musk held a town-hall in Green Bay and handed out two oversized $1 million checks.
Legal and Political Context
The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission voted 5-1 that probable cause existed that Musk’s posts violated state election-bribery law, which bars offering “anything of value” to induce voting. After the Brown County District Attorney recused himself, Gruenke was appointed special prosecutor.
The 2025 Supreme Court race was the costliest judicial contest in U.S. history, exceeding $100 million in total spending; Musk-aligned groups contributed at least $20 million to support Republican candidate Brad Schimel, who lost to Democrat Susan Crawford.
Official Statements & Responses
Musk’s representatives declined to comment on the decision.
Data & Statistics
- 5-1 vote finding probable cause.
- $100 million+ total spending in the Supreme Court race.
- $20 million contributed by Musk-aligned entities to support Schimel.
- Two $1 million checks handed out at the March 30 town-hall; recipients reported as Nicholas Jacobs, Ekaterina Diestler, and Scott Ainsworth in varying sources.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the identities of the check recipients. The Green Bay Press Gazette names Jacobs and Diestler, while also mentioning Ainsworth as an early recipient of a payment from Musk’s America PAC. No source confirms whether any recipient actually received the payment before the election concluded.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Either way the first post is perceived, in the end nobody was paid anything of value for voting or promising to vote,” — Tim Gruenke, county district attorney
- “I am angry and deeply frustrated,” — State Rep. Amaad Rivera-Wagner
What’s Next
Rep. Rivera-Wagner plans to re-introduce the anti-bribery bill in the next legislative session to prohibit cash incentives tied to petition signing. The civil suit filed by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign remains pending in Brown County court.
