When Political Spending Reeks of Corruption

Elon Musk’s payments to Wisconsin voters may not be illegal, but they show just how toxic our campaign finance system has become.

Elon Musk has been in the news a lot lately for the work he has done as a part of his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). However, one recent effort he’s led (separate from DOGE) — a personal investment venture into Wisconsin’s state Supreme Court race — has sounded an alarm for concerned citizens, as well as election law and campaign finance experts.

Yesterday’s state Supreme Court election held implications for both the bench’s ideological tilt and national policy due to its swing state status. While we’re not here to talk about the political implications of the election, we are here to talk about what we view as a concerning role that big money is playing in politics — especially given that the election was the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history.

While Musk’s efforts to elect his preferred candidate were thwarted by Wisconsin voters and folks can debate the role money played in the results, there is no denying that massive donors and legally questionable antics took center stage ahead of ballots being cast — drowning out the voices of everyday Americans.

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Questionable Tactics and Record-breaking Spending

Ahead of the state Supreme Court election, Musk employed tactics similar to those he used during the 2024 presidential election when his political action committee (PAC) offered voters in multiple battleground states chances to win $1 million for signing certain petitions (in giveaways that were not exactly random lotteries). Now, in Wisconsin, Musk’s “America PAC” offered voters $100 for signing a petition to oppose “activist judges,” gave away $1 million to two voters, and gave volunteers $20 for knocking on doors in support of one candidate and submitting photo proof.

Despite arguments that Musk’s payments are in violation of state laws ahead of both the presidential election and this Wisconsin election, courts have upheld their legality.

Alongside Musk’s legally questionable gambits in attempts to gin up support for his preferred candidate, Musk and two super PACs connected to him, America PAC and Building America’s Future, poured more than $24 million into the high-profile race, accounting for about $1 of every $5 spent in the race. Musk’s Wisconsin spending spree follows his record-breaking spending in the 2024 election cycle where he contributed nearly $300 million, most of which went to his super PAC that worked to help elect President Donald Trump.

Since taking the crown as the top contributor in the 2024 election cycle, Musk has gained unfettered access and influence with the Trump administration and the entire federal government while leading DOGE — including dismantling federal agencies through funding cuts and layoffs, attempting to acquire the personal data of everyday Americans, and sitting in on Cabinet meetings despite being an appointed special government employee and not an actual member of the Cabinet.

On top of gaining unprecedented access to levers of government, Musk’s direct line to Trump has been illustrated through unique opportunities that include prime seating at the president’s inauguration, standing alongside Trump at his post-inauguration speech, attendance at secretive million-dollar dinners at Mar-a-Lago, and hosting a fleet of Teslas (of which Musk is the CEO) on the White House’s front lawn.

These examples illustrate the degree of corruption that has infiltrated the U.S. campaign finance system, further demonstrating the worrisome trend of big money playing an outsized influence on politics and providing unelected billionaires access to government processes.

More Money, More Access?

To concerned citizens like us, the above instances illustrate a troubling path that our nation has gone down when it comes to the role money plays in politics.

It’s startling to see such a clear example of wealth leading to more access and influence. And while wealthy donors contributing massive amounts of money to their preferred candidates or political parties isn’t anything new, it doesn’t make it any less concerning that this trend continues year after year. Our current system gives the illusion that elected officials are at elite donors’ beck and call when they really should be responsive to all Americans — not just those who can write large checks.

Musk’s petition and payment schemes feel gimmicky on the surface, but they also represent a bigger issue. Despite his antics holding up in courts, we can’t help but feel uneasy by what seems like obvious corruption — particularly since the original intent of Musk’s $1 million giveaway gambit in Wisconsin, as expressed by a post he made on X, was to give two people checks as a way to show his appreciation for them “taking the time to vote.” Some experts have pointed out that Musk appears to have violated Wisconsin law that says you can’t provide voters anything of value in exchange for casting their vote.

Musk’s venture into Wisconsin’s state Supreme Court election on the heels of being the largest contributor in the 2024 election cycle exemplifies the troubling trend of how big money can be used to attempt to curry favor with those in power.

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