Billionaire Elon Musk has given away $1 million ($770,000) cheques to voters in Wisconsin as the state prepares for a highly competitive Supreme Court election. This move comes after the Wisconsin Supreme Court declined to intervene in the controversy surrounding the giveaway.
Earlier this week, Musk announced his donation ahead of the election scheduled for Tuesday, which could potentially shift control of the state's Supreme Court to the Republican party. The election has become a focal point, drawing significant attention as the most expensive judicial race in American history.
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, filed a lawsuit to halt Musk's giveaway, claiming that it violated state law prohibiting gifts in exchange for votes. In response, Musk argued that the initiative was not intended to buy votes but to mobilize support against what he termed "activist" judges. Speaking at a rally on Sunday, Musk stated, “We just want judges to be judges,” and proceeded to distribute two $1 million cheques to individuals who had signed a petition calling for the end of activist judicial influence.
Musk’s legal team contended that the giveaway was an exercise of political free speech, asserting that the payments were meant to promote grassroots opposition to activist judges, not to endorse a specific candidate. After two lower courts ruled in Musk's favor, Kaul requested a last-minute intervention from the state’s highest court. However, the Wisconsin Supreme Court unanimously chose not to hear the case, allowing Musk's plan to proceed.
The race, which has drawn the endorsement of Musk and former President Donald Trump for conservative candidate Judge Brad Schimel, has major implications for the state's legal landscape. Schimel, a Waukesha County judge, is up against Judge Susan Crawford of Dane County, who is supported by Wisconsin’s liberal justices. Musk's lawyers have also argued that judges who have publicly supported Crawford should be recused from ruling on the case due to potential bias.
The outcome of this election is seen as a referendum on the political climate following Trump's presidency, with significant ramifications for key issues such as abortion rights, voting laws, and redistricting. Musk has framed the election as critical to preventing redistricting changes that could favor Democrats in Congress. He has also contributed $14 million to Schimel’s campaign, making this race the most expensive judicial contest in U.S. history, with total spending exceeding $81 million.
Despite Musk's endorsement, Schimel recently distanced himself from the tech mogul, telling the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he had no plans to attend Musk's rally and was unaware of its details.
This is not the first time Musk has used large cash giveaways as a political tool. Last year, he offered $1 million a day to voters in Wisconsin and six other battleground states who supported petitions for First and Second Amendment rights. A Pennsylvania judge later ruled that this giveaway was legal, dismissing claims that it constituted an unlawful lottery.
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Source: theghanareport
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