Scoop: Musk's PAC offers $100 to Wisconsin voters in pitch against "activist judges"
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White House senior adviser Elon Musk, shown last week on the South Lawn. Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty Images
Elon Musk's political action committee is offering Wisconsin voters $100 to sign a petition expressing their opposition to "activist judges," a cause that President Trump is pressing as judges block or delay several parts of his agenda.
Why it matters: The move reflects how Musk is throwing his considerable wealth behind Trump's priorities — including an upcoming election in Wisconsin for a crucial seat on the state's Supreme Court.
Zoom in: The April 1 election in Wisconsin will determine the tilt of an ideologically divided bench in a swing state where state-level decisions can carry national implications for abortion rights, legislative redistricting and election laws.
- Two Musk-backed groups — America PAC and Building America's Future — have combined to spend nearly $20 million to support Brad Schimel, the Republican candidate for the Wisconsin court seat.
- The Democratic candidate, Susan Crawford, has drawn millions in donations from progressive donors, including George Soros and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
The Wisconsin campaign is entering its final days as Trump and his allies are attacking federal judges standing in the way of his agenda. Trump has been particularly critical of a judge who is questioning the administration's deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members.
- Trump and Musk have called for the impeachment of that judge, leading to a rebuke from Chief Justice John Roberts.
- "By signing below, I'm rejecting the actions of activist judges who impose their own views and demanding a judiciary that respects its role — interpreting, not legislating," the petition says.
How it works: After a voter signs the petition and is credited with $100, Musk's team won't know for sure whether, or how, that person voted in Wisconsin's election.
- But the groups will have one thing: the voter's data, which will allow the groups to contact them again in the future.
Flashback: Musk also opened his wallet during the closing days of the 2024 presidential campaign, when his PAC announced a $1 million giveaway for Pennsylvania voters who signed a petition in support of free speech and gun-owners' rights.
- Musk, the face of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), was Trump's biggest financial backer during the campaign. America PAC ultimately spent more than $250 million supporting Trump's candidacy.
- Musk has indicated that he plans to donate another $100 million to Trump's political operation, which the president plans to use in the 2026 midterm elections and to promote his legislative agenda.
