Billionaire Elon Musk could face criminal charges for allegedly violating Wisconsin law, according to findings from a bipartisan panel. The panel determined that Musk may have broken election statutes when he offered $1 million to voters last year.
In March 2025, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, initiated legal action seeking to prevent Musk from distributing the funds. Musk's legal team contended that blocking the giveaways would infringe upon his First Amendment rights and restrict his political speech. They argued the $1 million was intended to foster a grassroots movement against activist judges, rather than to explicitly support or oppose any particular candidate.
State courts did not grant an injunction to halt the giveaways. The Wisconsin Supreme Court subsequently denied Kaul's emergency petition without providing an explanation for its decision.
Separately, in June of the previous year, the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, a government watchdog organization, along with two voters, filed a lawsuit. This suit alleged that Musk, America PAC, and another political group associated with Musk violated laws concerning election bribery and unauthorized lotteries. The plaintiffs also asserted that these actions constituted an unlawful civil conspiracy and a public nuisance.