Wisconsin election officials have concluded there is probable cause to believe Elon Musk violated state election law by offering $1 million payments to voters during the 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court race.
The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission voted 5-1 to refer two complaints to the Brown County District Attorney's Office, which will now decide whether to pursue criminal charges under the state's election bribery law. Prosecutors have 40 days to report their decision.
The complaints stem from Musk's appearance at a Green Bay rally just days before the election, where he handed out $1 million checks to voters. The commission found probable cause that a social media post offering the payments was intended to encourage people to vote.
Musk spent at least $20 million supporting Republican-backed candidate Brad Schimel, who ultimately lost by 10 percentage points to Democratic-backed Susan Crawford. The election became the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history, with spending exceeding $100 million.
Musk did not immediately comment on the commission's decision.
Three Wisconsin voters ultimately received $1 million checks. Separately, Musk's political action committee, America PAC, offered $100 to voters who signed a petition opposing "activist judges" or referred others to sign it.
The referral adds to ongoing legal challenges over Musk's election spending. A separate lawsuit filed by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign seeks to bar him from offering cash incentives to voters in the state, while Musk has previously argued the payments were protected political speech under the U.S. and Wisconsin constitutions.