Cash Cannon Politics: Musk Dodges Lawsuit, Hands Out $1M Checks at Pre-Election Rally

Happy Election Day, Wisconsin! While you're heading to the polls for a state Supreme Court race that somehow became the most expensive judicial election in American history (we'll get to that), let's talk about the absolute circus that unfolded this past Sunday. Elon Musk, the world's richest agent provocateur and apparent shadow advisor to the President, swooped into Green Bay, donned a foam cheesehead hat (because of course he did), and proceeded to personally hand over two checks, each for a cool $1,000,000.

Let's just process that. In the final hours before a pivotal state election, a billionaire flew in and held a rally where giant novelty checks were presumably involved (or at least real ones with lots of zeroes). Now, before you grab your pitchforks screaming "election bribery," there's a twist – or rather, a carefully constructed bit of framing.

Wisconsin's Attorney General, Democrat Josh Kaul, certainly saw it as potential bribery. He filed lawsuits trying to block Musk's million-dollar giveaway, arguing it clearly violated state law prohibiting offering anything of value to induce voting. It seemed like a slam dunk, right? You can't just pay people huge sums of money right before they vote in an election you're heavily invested in!

Except... you apparently can, if you call them "spokespeople." In a flurry of legal activity that went right down to the wire, both lower courts and ultimately the Wisconsin Supreme Court itself refused to hear the AG's challenge just minutes before Musk's rally began. The legal roadblocks crumbled, and the check ceremony went ahead. Musk's team, after some initial, perhaps less careful, posts on X suggesting the money was for voters, clarified that the million bucks were going to two specific individuals – Nicholas Jacobs (Chairman of the WI Federation of College Republicans) and Ekaterina Diesler – designated as "spokespeople" for Musk's PAC (America PAC) and its online petition decrying "activist" judges. See? Totally not about inducing votes! It's about... spokespersoning. Wink, nudge.

The sheer audacity is breathtaking. It's like robbing a bank but calling it an "unauthorized withdrawal for promotional purposes." The fact that the state's highest court essentially said, "Yeah, we're not touching this one" right before the event adds a whole other layer of WTF. Were there conflicts of interest, given that justices had endorsed candidates in this very race? Did they just not want to deal with the Musk-shaped grenade lobbed into their laps?

But wait, there's more! Those two million-dollar checks? They're just the very visible tip of a colossal iceberg of cash Musk has unleashed on Wisconsin. His America PAC has reportedly dumped over $17 million (some reports push it past $20 million) into this single-state Supreme Court race, funding everything from door-knocking canvassers to ads and mailers, all to boost the conservative candidate, Brad Schimel. This firehose of spending from one out-of-state billionaire has single-handedly turned this contest into the most expensive judicial race ever recorded in the United States, with total spending soaring past $81 million. Let that number sink in. For a state court seat.

Why the obsession? Musk claims it's about preventing a liberal court majority from redrawing congressional maps to favor Democrats, potentially costing the GOP crucial U.S. House seats. He painted the stakes in typically understated Musk-ian fashion, telling rally-goers this election was "important for the future of civilization." Right. Because nothing says stable civilization like billionaires handing out million-dollar checks to influence local judicial races after sidestepping anti-bribery laws.

So, as Wisconsinites cast their ballots today, April 1st, 2025, they do so under the long shadow of this unprecedented spending spree and public display of financial influence. Is this the new normal? Can billionaires just parachute into key states, shower specific individuals with life-changing sums of money under flimsy pretenses, and potentially sway elections while the legal system looks the other way? It's a question with profound implications that go far beyond Wisconsin. And it is, without a doubt, your certifiably baffling Daily Dose of WTF.

Sources:

• CBS News (Reporting on the check handover, legal challenge refusal, and overall spending, March 31, 2025)

• PBS NewsHour (Reporting on America PAC spending, canvassing efforts, and Musk's rally statements, March 31, 2025)

• Common Cause Wisconsin (Criticism of Musk's spending and influence, March 14, 2025)

• Politico Illinois Playbook (Reporting Durbin's comments on Musk's influence, March 31, 2025)