La Crosse County, Wisconsin – A Wisconsin prosecutor recently decided not to charge billionaire Elon Musk with a crime for his controversial $1 million giveaway to state voters that committed to supporting his agenda.
According to The Washington Post, District Attorney Tim Gruenke made the decision on Tuesday, arguing that he doubted he could secure a conviction from a jury.
Gruenke cited a social media post shared by Musk after launching the contest in March 2025, in which he promised to give away $1 million checks to two voters.
But hours later, Musk changed the stipulations to state that the contest was limited to those who signed a petition, and money would be given to individuals who were “spokesmen for the petition.”
US Open: Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz fall in mixed doubles quarter-finals
“Without the famous name attached and the large dollar amounts involved, it is a simple case of a poorly worded statement that was corrected and brought into compliance with the law,” Gruenke wrote in his decision.
The dismissal comes after the Wisconsin Elections Commission voted 5-1 last month to refer two complaints about the contest to the Brown County district attorney’s office.
The panel found probable cause that Musk broke Wisconsin election bribery laws by attempting to “induce them to vote in that election.”
Musk’s contest had participants sign a petition vowing to vote against “activist judges” – a term used by Republicans for judges who rule against President Donald Trump’s policies.
He also sought to boost Republican Brad Schimel, who would have tilted the swing state’s top court to a conservative majority, but the politician ultimately lost by 10 points.
