Elon Musk will not face charges over Wisconsin voter incentives

Elon Musk will not face criminal charges in Wisconsin regarding his offer of $1 million checks to voters during the state’s Supreme Court election. La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke, acting as a special prosecutor, announced Tuesday that he does not believe a jury would convict Musk of election bribery.

The investigation followed a July finding by the Wisconsin Elections Commission that Musk likely violated state law. Wisconsin statutes prohibit offering or giving anything of value to influence a person to vote or refrain from voting. Musk had initially posted on X that he would personally hand over two $1 million checks to individuals in appreciation for voting.

Gruenke described the incident as a “poorly worded statement that was corrected and brought into compliance with the law,” noting that the case would be considered simple if not for Musk’s high profile and the significant sums of money involved. While the prosecutor concluded no crime was committed, the decision drew criticism from Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who expressed confusion over how the promises did not violate state law.