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Omaha Steve

(108,431 posts)
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 10:27 AM Mar 2025

Musk group offers $100 to Wisconsin voters ahead of pivotal state Supreme Court election

Source: AP

By SCOTT BAUER
Updated 9:23 AM CDT, March 21, 2025

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A group funded by billionaire Elon Musk is offering Wisconsin voters $100 to sign a petition in opposition to “activist judges,” a move that comes two weeks before the state’s Supreme Court election and after the political action committee made a similar proposal last year in battleground states.

Musk’s political action committee America PAC announced the petition in a post on X on Thursday night. It promises $100 for each Wisconsin voter who signs the petition and another $100 for each signer they refer.

The campaign for Susan Crawford, the Democratic-backed candidate for Wisconsin Supreme Court, said Musk was trying to buy votes ahead of the April 1 election. The offer was made two days after early voting started in the hotly contested race between Crawford and Brad Schimel, the preferred candidate of Musk and Republicans.

The winner of the election will determine whether the court remains under liberal control or flips to a conservative majority.



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-supreme-court-musk-trump-b9be6119d500bdacc9c6341be013cd62

36 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Musk group offers $100 to Wisconsin voters ahead of pivotal state Supreme Court election (Original Post) Omaha Steve Mar 2025 OP
Josh Kaul should investigate. 33taw Mar 2025 #1
This can't be legal Mz Pip Mar 2025 #2
Although he's gotten away with it before.... Bayard Mar 2025 #4
Of course it's illegal. Now that Dump has taken over the FEC, state law is the only obstacle. Eugene Mar 2025 #5
Paying people to sign a petition isn't explicitly against Federal law. Wiz Imp Mar 2025 #22
It's only against the law if it is in support of a Democrat mdbl Mar 2025 #27
It isn't legal my state, Washington Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Mar 2025 #25
Isn't paying voters usual blamed on ... Lovie777 Mar 2025 #3
Free beer Marthe48 Mar 2025 #6
Free whiskey and cash in the 1800's. Looks like it still works Evolve Dammit Mar 2025 #17
Keeping minimum wage absurdly low Marthe48 Mar 2025 #23
So many (half?) have no resources and are vulnerable to any inducement. Half? have nothing. Nothing. Evolve Dammit Mar 2025 #29
Correct headline"Musk and the GOP call Wisconsin voters cheap bronxiteforever Mar 2025 #7
What do you bet boonecreek Mar 2025 #8
The American Prospect: The Wisconsin Court Election Drawing Elon Musk's Money erronis Mar 2025 #9
I hope all the social security recipients are watching mdbl Mar 2025 #28
Hell, I'd take the money, sign the petition MarineCombatEngineer Mar 2025 #10
I would too and then donate the money to charity. Falconry Mar 2025 #12
I like you the cut of your jib. MarineCombatEngineer Mar 2025 #13
Me, too! otchmoson Mar 2025 #15
If they did that, they'd be admitting to breaking the law themselves Wiz Imp Mar 2025 #30
In PA and did just that back in October unweird Mar 2025 #20
Good job sticking it to the MAGAt's. MarineCombatEngineer Mar 2025 #21
Right out in the open. bluestarone Mar 2025 #11
Here's an idea... littlemissmartypants Mar 2025 #14
Hell yes KS Toronado Mar 2025 #16
Get the fuck out of our state. Get the fuck out of our country. milestogo Mar 2025 #18
Just negotiating the price here, boss. Grokenstein Mar 2025 #19
Here we go again orangecrush Mar 2025 #24
This is why ALL Democrats, Independents, and GOP must vote for Susan Crawford. OrlandoDem2 Mar 2025 #26
It is a secret ballot creon Mar 2025 #31
How is this legal? LetMyPeopleVote Mar 2025 #32
If you have to pay people to sign your petition, your argument must not be that strong. alarimer Mar 2025 #33
This message was self-deleted by its author vapor2 Mar 2025 #34
Don't be dumb enough to fall for this shit, Wisconsin Blue Owl Mar 2025 #35
we ain't alabama. cheap idjit. + more an illinois thing. tho we got dirty under tommy fucking thompson. pansypoo53219 Mar 2025 #36

Eugene

(66,791 posts)
5. Of course it's illegal. Now that Dump has taken over the FEC, state law is the only obstacle.
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 10:36 AM
Mar 2025

Eloon is repeating the same vote-buying trick as he did last November.

Wiz Imp

(8,948 posts)
22. Paying people to sign a petition isn't explicitly against Federal law.
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 01:37 PM
Mar 2025

It is against state law in some states such as Maryland (MD Election Law Code § 16-401 -

(a) A person may not willfully and knowingly:
(1) give, transfer, promise, or offer anything of value for the purpose of inducing another person to sign or not sign any petition;

Wisconsin does not seem to have a similar law.

However, since Musk is doing this to identify potential Republican voters who he will then make sure they vote in the election - it effectively becomes a vote buying scheme which IS illegal. Wisconsin's AG should charge him with attempting to buy votes.

mdbl

(8,109 posts)
27. It's only against the law if it is in support of a Democrat
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 04:14 PM
Mar 2025

according to the fascist crowd.

Lovie777

(21,737 posts)
3. Isn't paying voters usual blamed on ...
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 10:33 AM
Mar 2025

Dems?

Although not true, but it’s ok for republicans to pay voters?

Marthe48

(22,711 posts)
23. Keeping minimum wage absurdly low
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 01:40 PM
Mar 2025

And artificially jacking up the prices on food and shelter is guaranteed to make any giveaways tempting, especially for the freedumb flock. In any century.
Bread and circus works too.

Evolve Dammit

(21,498 posts)
29. So many (half?) have no resources and are vulnerable to any inducement. Half? have nothing. Nothing.
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 04:27 PM
Mar 2025

bronxiteforever

(11,088 posts)
7. Correct headline"Musk and the GOP call Wisconsin voters cheap
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 10:43 AM
Mar 2025

whores” that they can buy for a little cash.”

erronis

(22,651 posts)
9. The American Prospect: The Wisconsin Court Election Drawing Elon Musk's Money
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 10:47 AM
Mar 2025
https://prospect.org/justice/2025-03-21-wisconsin-court-election-drawing-elon-musks-money/

On April 1, Wisconsin voters will decide the ideological bent of their state’s Supreme Court in an election that has drawn the attention and cash of Elon Musk. The two candidates vying for a ten-year term are liberal trial court judge Susan Crawford and former Republican attorney general and current trial court judge Brad Schimel.

The election is technically apolitical—the candidates don’t run as Democrats or Republicans—but in reality it’s anything but. The election comes after the retirement of liberal Justice Ann Walsh Bradley last year. Since a 2023 Supreme Court election, the court has had a liberal majority for the first time in over a decade. Now, Justice Bradley’s retirement and the upcoming election threaten to throw that balance back to conservatives.

The consequences of a conservative majority on the court would be wide-ranging, potentially handing conservatives victories on abortion, elections, and organized labor. That’s why the election is being flooded with cash by the world’s richest man. All in all, the election has seen more than $66 million in spending, with $13 million of that coming from groups associated with Musk. The majority of the cash, $36 million, is benefiting Schimel. Some campaign finance experts have anticipated as much as $100 million to be spent, on an off-year state Supreme Court election.

With the massive flow of national money into a state race, it’s clear that this election has consequences that will likely reverberate across the country. Political observers are also looking at the election as a referendum on the Trump administration, Elon Musk, and the Democratic Party’s ability to hold on to power in a critical swing state.

. . .

mdbl

(8,109 posts)
28. I hope all the social security recipients are watching
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 04:16 PM
Mar 2025

The $100 won't replace their missing checks.

otchmoson

(273 posts)
15. Me, too!
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 11:53 AM
Mar 2025

Lying seems to be their way of life . . . so I would not feel one bit bad if I took their money and then voted for Crawford. I suppose, though, they would use the numbers of those who were paid to sign the petition measured against the actual vote to claim "election fraud" and keep it in the courts forever.

Wiz Imp

(8,948 posts)
30. If they did that, they'd be admitting to breaking the law themselves
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 04:36 PM
Mar 2025

If they claim it's fraud for someone to sign the petition and then not vote republican, then that is an admission that the purpose of the petition was to buy people's votes - blatantly illegal.

unweird

(3,276 posts)
20. In PA and did just that back in October
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 01:30 PM
Mar 2025

And did receive a check for $100. I didn’t directly give it to charity but did double my monthly ACLU donation which will net them $180 this year. I can sleep well with that.

bluestarone

(21,157 posts)
11. Right out in the open.
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 10:49 AM
Mar 2025

If true drag the fucker in a court room, even if the judge has to deputize a Marshal. (marshal's if more are needed)

milestogo

(22,573 posts)
18. Get the fuck out of our state. Get the fuck out of our country.
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 01:25 PM
Mar 2025

Go back to South Africa, if they'll have you.

Grokenstein

(6,245 posts)
19. Just negotiating the price here, boss.
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 01:29 PM
Mar 2025

How many can be bought that cheaply? What does it cost to sell out your country?

OrlandoDem2

(3,154 posts)
26. This is why ALL Democrats, Independents, and GOP must vote for Susan Crawford.
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 03:13 PM
Mar 2025

This is not democracy. This is not acceptable.

 

alarimer

(17,146 posts)
33. If you have to pay people to sign your petition, your argument must not be that strong.
Fri Mar 21, 2025, 06:24 PM
Mar 2025

To say nothing of the fact that this petition is now fake because none of signatures are sincere.

Response to Omaha Steve (Original post)

pansypoo53219

(22,883 posts)
36. we ain't alabama. cheap idjit. + more an illinois thing. tho we got dirty under tommy fucking thompson.
Sat Mar 22, 2025, 12:03 AM
Mar 2025
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