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Wisconsin will not charge Elon Musk with election bribery, DA says
La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke announced he will not pursue election bribery charges against Elon Musk over his $1 million giveaway to Wisconsin voters during the 2025 Supreme Court race. Gruenke cited the lack of payments tied to voting and doubts about jury conviction, while the Wisconsin Elections Commission had referred complaints alleging Musk likely broke the law.
Prosecutor Declines to Bring Election Bribery Charges
Elon Musk will not face charges for promising to give $1 million to voters in the 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election, a state prosecutor announced Tuesday. La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke, a Democrat who was appointed as a special prosecutor in the matter, said he did not believe a jury would find that Musk's actions constituted election bribery.
In a statement, Gruenke said: "Either way the first post is perceived, in the end nobody was paid anything of value for voting or promising to vote." He further explained: "Even if I could convince a jury that the original post was still a bribe, I do not believe that a jury would convict Elon Musk of a crime after considering the intent, the second post, and the fact nothing of value was ever given to anyone for voting for an incident occurring in March of 2025."
Gruenke described the situation as "a simple case of a poorly worded statement that was corrected and brought into compliance with the law." He did not dispute the contents of two social media posts but questioned their interpretation and intent, suggesting the first post could be viewed either as a lottery or as free entry to an event.
Background and Referrals
The decision comes after the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission in July referred two complaints to the Brown County district attorney's office for possible charges, stating that Musk likely broke the law. The commission's referrals cited two social media posts Musk made ahead of his visit to Green Bay in March 2025.
The first post, made on the night of March 27, 2025, announced that Musk would speak in Wisconsin and that entrance would be limited "to those who have voted in the Supreme Court Election," adding that he would "personally hand over two checks for a million dollars each in appreciation for you taking the time to vote." The first post gains were later deleted, and Musk replaced it with a second post stating: "To clarify a previous post, entrance is limited to those who have signed the petition in opposition to activist judges. I will also hand over checks for a million dollars to 2 people to be spokesmen for the petition."
Some lawyers and Wisconsin Democrats have previously suggested that Musk's posts violated election laws, and several days before the planned payments, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul asked the state Supreme Court to block the payments. The court declined. Musk's attorneys argued in 2025 legal filings that he was exercising his free speech rights with the giveaways and that any restriction would violate the Wisconsin and U.S. constitutions.
Context of the 2025 Election
Musk, the founder of SpaceX and CEO of Tesla, was deeply involved in the effort to flip majority control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which was a key battleground election. He and other groups he supported spent at least $20 million backing Republican nominee Brad Schimel, who lost to Democratic-supported candidate Susan Crawford by 10 percentage points. Crawford's victory preserved the liberal majority on the court.
Spending on the race topped $100 million, making it the most expensive judicial election in U.S. history. The election took place in April 2025, and the commission's referrals came in July.
No Comment from Musk's Representatives
Musk's representatives have not responded to requests for comment on the decision not to charge him or on the underlying allegations.
After the event in Green Bay, Musk's America PAC announced Scott Ainsworth of Green Bay as the first recipient of a $1 million check for signing Musk's petition. The PAC published a video highlighting Ainsworth's support of Schlimel.
How each outlet told it
Baltimore Sun
Framing: Emphasizes the prosecutor's decision not to charge Musk, focusing on the outcome rather than the underlying allegations. — Neutral/straightforward, quoting Gruenke's rationale without editorializing.
Facts Included:
Musk will not face charges for promising $1 million to voters in a 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
Prosecutor Tim Gruenke, a Democrat, announced decision on Tuesday
Bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission referred two complaints in July
Musk's first social media post offered $1 million checks to those who had voted
Musk replaced post with one requiring petition signature
Gruenke's statement: 'Either way the first post is perceived, in the end nobody was paid anything of value for voting or promising to vote'
Gruenke's statement: 'Even if I could convince a jury that the original post was still a bribe, I do not believe that a jury would convict Elon Musk of a crime...'
Gruenke called it 'a simple case of a poorly worded statement that was corrected and brought into compliance with the law'
Musk's representatives have not responded to requests for comment
Spending on the election topped $100 million, most expensive judicial race in U.S. history
Musk and groups spent at least $20 million backing Brad Schimel
Schimel lost by 10 percentage points to Susan Crawford
Wisconsin's Democratic attorney general sued to stop the payments but was rejected by state courts
Musk's attorneys argued in 2025 legal filings that giveaways were free speech
Framing: Emphasizes the prosecutor's decision not to charge Musk, focusing on the outcome rather than the underlying allegations. — Neutral/straightforward, quoting Gruenke's rationale without editorializing.
Facts Included:
Musk will not face charges for promising $1 million to voters in a 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
Prosecutor Tim Gruenke, a Democrat, announced decision on Tuesday
Bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission referred two complaints in July
Musk's first social media post offered $1 million checks to those who had voted
Musk replaced post with one requiring petition signature
Gruenke's statement: 'Either way the first post is perceived, in the end nobody was paid anything of value for voting or promising to vote'
Gruenke's statement: 'Even if I could convince a jury that the original post was still a bribe, I do not believe that a jury would convict Elon Musk of a crime...'
Gruenke called it 'a simple case of a poorly worded statement that was corrected and brought into compliance with the law'
Musk's representatives have not responded to requests for comment
Spending on the election topped $100 million, most expensive judicial race in U.S. history
Musk and groups spent at least $20 million backing Brad Schimel
Schimel lost by 10 percentage points to Susan Crawford
Wisconsin's Democratic attorney general sued to stop the payments but was rejected by state courts
Musk's attorneys argued in 2025 legal filings that giveaways were free speech
Framing: Similar to AP version, but headline wording 'will not face' instead of 'won't face'—slightly more formal, still outcome-focused. — Neutral/straightforward, with minor local currency adjustment for audience.
Facts Included:
Musk will not face charges for promising $1 million to voters in a 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
Prosecutor Tim Gruenke, a Democrat, announced decision on Tuesday
Bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission referred two complaints in July
Musk's first social media post offered $1 million checks to those who had voted
Musk replaced post with one requiring petition signature
Gruenke's statement: 'Either way the first post is perceived, in the end nobody was paid anything of value for voting or promising to vote'
Gruenke's statement: 'Even if I could convince a jury that the original post was still a bribe, I do not believe that a jury would convict Elon Musk of a crime...'
Gruenke called it 'a simple case of a poorly worded statement that was corrected and brought into compliance with the law'
Musk's representatives have not responded to requests for comment
Spending on the election topped $100 million, most expensive judicial race in U.S. history
Musk and groups spent at least $20 million backing Brad Schimel
Schimel lost by 10 percentage points to Susan Crawford
Wisconsin's Democratic attorney general sued to stop the payments but was rejected by state courts
Musk's attorneys argued in 2025 legal filings that giveaways were free speech
Framing: Emphasizes the prosecutor's decision not to charge Musk, focusing on the outcome rather than the underlying allegations. — Neutral/straightforward, quoting Gruenke's rationale without editorializing.
Facts Included:
Musk will not face charges for promising $1 million to voters in a 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
Prosecutor Tim Gruenke, a Democrat, announced decision on Tuesday
Bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission referred two complaints in July
Musk's first social media post offered $1 million checks to those who had voted
Musk replaced post with one requiring petition signature
Gruenke's statement: 'Either way the first post is perceived, in the end nobody was paid anything of value for voting or promising to vote'
Gruenke's statement: 'Even if I could convince a jury that the original post was still a bribe, I do not believe that a jury would convict Elon Musk of a crime...'
Gruenke called it 'a simple case of a poorly worded statement that was corrected and brought into compliance with the law'
Musk's representatives have not responded to requests for comment
Spending on the election topped $100 million, most expensive judicial race in U.S. history
Musk and groups spent at least $20 million backing Brad Schimel
Schimel lost by 10 percentage points to Susan Crawford
Wisconsin's Democratic attorney general sued to stop the payments but was rejected by state courts
Musk's attorneys argued in 2025 legal filings that giveaways were free speech
Framing: Emphasizes the prosecutor's decision not to charge Musk, focusing on the outcome rather than the underlying allegations. — Neutral/straightforward, quoting Gruenke's rationale without editorializing.
Facts Included:
Musk will not face charges for promising $1 million to voters in a 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
Prosecutor Tim Gruenke, a Democrat, announced decision on Tuesday
Bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission referred two complaints in July
Musk's first social media post offered $1 million checks to those who had voted
Musk replaced post with one requiring petition signature
Gruenke's statement: 'Either way the first post is perceived, in the end nobody was paid anything of value for voting or promising to vote'
Gruenke's statement: 'Even if I could convince a jury that the original post was still a bribe, I do not believe that a jury would convict Elon Musk of a crime...'
Gruenke called it 'a simple case of a poorly worded statement that was corrected and brought into compliance with the law'
Musk's representatives have not responded to requests for comment
Spending on the election topped $100 million, most expensive judicial race in U.S. history
Musk and groups spent at least $20 million backing Brad Schimel
Schimel lost by 10 percentage points to Susan Crawford
Wisconsin's Democratic attorney general sued to stop the payments but was rejected by state courts
Musk's attorneys argued in 2025 legal filings that giveaways were free speech
Framing: Headline focuses on the state's decision, using 'Wisconsin will not charge' rather than naming the prosecutor, and uses the formal 'election bribery' term. — Straightforward but slightly more detailed, with a broader context of political reactions.
Facts Included:
La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke declined to pursue election bribery charges against Elon Musk
Referrals by the Wisconsin Elections Commission
Insistence by some Democratic legislators
In an Aug. 25 letter, Gruenke said he did not believe a jury would convict Musk
Musk social media posts offered chances at $1 million checks ahead of his visit to Green Bay in March 2025
First post on the night of March 27, 2025, announced Musk would speak in Wisconsin, limit entrance 'to those who have voted in the Supreme Court Election' and hand over checks
First post was later deleted
Second post: 'To clarify a previous post, entrance is limited to those who have signed the petition... I will also hand over checks for a million dollars to 2 people to be spokesmen for the petition.'
Gruenke did not dispute the contents of two social media posts, though questioned their interpretation and intent
Gruenke suggested two possible views of the first post: as a lottery or as free entry to an event
Gruenke framed the circumstances as 'a simple case of a poorly worded statement that was corrected and brought into compliance with the law.'
Gruenke's quote: 'Either way the first post is perceived...'
Gruenke's quote: 'Even if I could convince a jury...'
Some lawyers and Wisconsin Democrats have previously suggested that Musk's posts broke the law
Several days before Musk's planned payments, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul asked the state Supreme Court to block the payments. The court declined.
Musk's America PAC announced Scott Ainsworth of Green Bay as the first recipient of $1 million for signing Musk's petition
PAC published a video highlighting Ainsworth's support of Republican nominee Brad Schimel, who lost to Democratic nominee Susan Crawford
Framing: Emphasizes the prosecutor's decision not to charge Musk, focusing on the outcome rather than the underlying allegations. — Neutral/straightforward, quoting Gruenke's rationale without editorializing.
Facts Included:
Musk will not face charges for promising $1 million to voters in a 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
Prosecutor Tim Gruenke, a Democrat, announced decision on Tuesday
Bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission referred two complaints in July
Musk's first social media post offered $1 million checks to those who had voted
Musk replaced post with one requiring petition signature
Gruenke's statement: 'Either way the first post is perceived, in the end nobody was paid anything of value for voting or promising to vote'
Gruenke's statement: 'Even if I could convince a jury that the original post was still a bribe, I do not believe that a jury would convict Elon Musk of a crime...'
Gruenke called it 'a simple case of a poorly worded statement that was corrected and brought into compliance with the law'
Musk's representatives have not responded to requests for comment
Spending on the election topped $100 million, most expensive judicial race in U.S. history
Musk and groups spent at least $20 million backing Brad Schimel
Schimel lost by 10 percentage points to Susan Crawford
Wisconsin's Democratic attorney general sued to stop the payments but was rejected by state courts
Musk's attorneys argued in 2025 legal filings that giveaways were free speech
Framing: Emphasizes the prosecutor's decision not to charge Musk, focusing on the outcome rather than the underlying allegations. — Neutral/straightforward, quoting Gruenke's rationale without editorializing.
Facts Included:
Musk will not face charges for promising $1 million to voters in a 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
Prosecutor Tim Gruenke, a Democrat, announced decision on Tuesday
Bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission referred two complaints in July
Musk's first social media post offered $1 million checks to those who had voted
Musk replaced post with one requiring petition signature
Gruenke's statement: 'Either way the first post is perceived, in the end nobody was paid anything of value for voting or promising to vote'
Gruenke's statement: 'Even if I could convince a jury that the original post was still a bribe, I do not believe that a jury would convict Elon Musk of a crime...'
Gruenke called it 'a simple case of a poorly worded statement that was corrected and brought into compliance with the law'
Musk's representatives have not responded to requests for comment
Spending on the election topped $100 million, most expensive judicial race in U.S. history
Musk and groups spent at least $20 million backing Brad Schimel
Schimel lost by 10 percentage points to Susan Crawford
Wisconsin's Democratic attorney general sued to stop the payments but was rejected by state courts
Musk's attorneys argued in 2025 legal filings that giveaways were free speech
Framing: Emphasizes the prosecutor's decision not to charge Musk, focusing on the outcome rather than the underlying allegations. — Neutral/straightforward, quoting Gruenke's rationale without editorializing.
Facts Included:
Musk will not face charges for promising $1 million to voters in a 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
Prosecutor Tim Gruenke, a Democrat, announced decision on Tuesday
Bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission referred two complaints in July
Musk's first social media post offered $1 million checks to those who had voted
Musk replaced post with one requiring petition signature
Gruenke's statement: 'Either way the first post is perceived, in the end nobody was paid anything of value for voting or promising to vote'
Gruenke's statement: 'Even if I could convince a jury that the original post was still a bribe, I do not believe that a jury would convict Elon Musk of a crime...'
Gruenke called it 'a simple case of a poorly worded statement that was corrected and brought into compliance with the law'
Musk's representatives have not responded to requests for comment
Spending on the election topped $100 million, most expensive judicial race in U.S. history
Musk and groups spent at least $20 million backing Brad Schimel
Schimel lost by 10 percentage points to Susan Crawford
Wisconsin's Democratic attorney general sued to stop the payments but was rejected by state courts
Musk's attorneys argued in 2025 legal filings that giveaways were free speech
Framing: Emphasizes the prosecutor's decision not to charge Musk, focusing on the outcome rather than the underlying allegations. — Neutral/straightforward, quoting Gruenke's rationale without editorializing.
Facts Included:
Musk will not face charges for promising $1 million to voters in a 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
Prosecutor Tim Gruenke, a Democrat, announced decision on Tuesday
Bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission referred two complaints in July
Musk's first social media post offered $1 million checks to those who had voted
Musk replaced post with one requiring petition signature
Gruenke's statement: 'Either way the first post is perceived, in the end nobody was paid anything of value for voting or promising to vote'
Gruenke's statement: 'Even if I could convince a jury that the original post was still a bribe, I do not believe that a jury would convict Elon Musk of a crime...'
Gruenke called it 'a simple case of a poorly worded statement that was corrected and brought into compliance with the law'
Musk's representatives have not responded to requests for comment
Spending on the election topped $100 million, most expensive judicial race in U.S. history
Musk and groups spent at least $20 million backing Brad Schimel
Schimel lost by 10 percentage points to Susan Crawford
Wisconsin's Democratic attorney general sued to stop the payments but was rejected by state courts
Musk's attorneys argued in 2025 legal filings that giveaways were free speech
Framing: Emphasizes the prosecutor's decision not to charge Musk, focusing on the outcome rather than the underlying allegations. — Neutral/straightforward, quoting Gruenke's rationale without editorializing.
Facts Included:
Musk will not face charges for promising $1 million to voters in a 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
Prosecutor Tim Gruenke, a Democrat, announced decision on Tuesday
Bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission referred two complaints in July
Musk's first social media post offered $1 million checks to those who had voted
Musk replaced post with one requiring petition signature
Gruenke's statement: 'Either way the first post is perceived, in the end nobody was paid anything of value for voting or promising to vote'
Gruenke's statement: 'Even if I could convince a jury that the original post was still a bribe, I do not believe that a jury would convict Elon Musk of a crime...'
Gruenke called it 'a simple case of a poorly worded statement that was corrected and brought into compliance with the law'
Musk's representatives have not responded to requests for comment
Spending on the election topped $100 million, most expensive judicial race in U.S. history
Musk and groups spent at least $20 million backing Brad Schimel
Schimel lost by 10 percentage points to Susan Crawford
Wisconsin's Democratic attorney general sued to stop the payments but was rejected by state courts
Musk's attorneys argued in 2025 legal filings that giveaways were free speech
Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.
Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimElon Musk will not face charges for promising to give $1 million to voters in a 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election.
ClaimThe bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission in July referred two complaints to the Brown County district attorney's office for possible charges, saying Musk likely broke the law.
ClaimMusk replaced the first post with one saying attendance was limited to those who signed a petition he was circulating against activist judges and the money would be given to people who would advocate for that petition.
ClaimGruenke stated: 'Even if I could convince a jury that the original post was still a bribe, I do not believe that a jury would convict Elon Musk of a crime after considering the intent, the second post, and the fact nothing of value was ever given to anyone for voting for an incident occurring in March of 2025.'
ClaimGruenke said: 'If you strip away the 'famous name' and the large amount of money involved, it is a simple case of a poorly worded statement that was corrected and brought into compliance with the law.'
ClaimMusk's attorneys argued in legal filings in 2025 that Musk was exercising his free speech rights with the giveaways and any attempt to restrict that would violate the Wisconsin and U.S. constitutions.
11 outlets · 11 articles consulted: Baltimore Sun, The Boston Herald, breakingnews.ie, Hartford Courant, Boulder Daily Camera, Green Bay Press-Gazette, The Mercury News, Santa Ana Orange County Register, Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, San Diego Union-Tribune16 claims extractedVersion 2Written 2026-08-25