Wisconsin

Elon Musk promised Wisconsin voters a $1 million reward. Is that legal?

Published

11 months ago

March 28, 2025

Elon Musk promised Wisconsin voters a million reward. Is that legal?

For the second time in a year, Elon Musk appears to be trying to bribe voters — and election law experts say it’s probably illegal.

Musk offered Thursday to “personally hand over” a total of $2 million to two individuals who have already voted in the closely watched Wisconsin Supreme Court race. (It’s unclear whether the payment is conditional on voting for Musk’s preferred candidate.)

Following threats of potential legal blowback, however, he said that the recipients of the $1 million reward would instead be chosen on the basis of their ability to be effective spokespeople for a petition against “activist judges.” His PAC has also offered $100 to anyone who signs the petition.

The stakes are high: The election will determine the court’s ideological balance — and potentially the future of abortion rights, electoral maps, and unions in the critical battleground state.

It’s the second time in two years that control of the court has been up for grabs. It’s also the second time that Musk has promised cash rewards to voters, and last time, he didn’t face any repercussions. Here’s what we know.

When was the last time Musk tried something like this?

In 2024, Musk’s PAC orchestrated a $1 million daily giveaway to registered voters in battleground states. The PAC initially said the recipients would be selected randomly in a lottery that the Philadelphia district attorney argued was a violation of state election law. Election law experts also argued that it violated federal law prohibiting cash payments for registering to vote or casting a ballot, including as part of a lottery.

So, are Musk’s payments legal?

In a blog post Friday, election law expert Rick Hasen, a professor at UCLA Law, said probably not. He pointed to Wisconsin state law, which states that paying voters to turn out is a crime. There is also a federal prohibition on vote-buying, but that doesn’t kick in when there are no federal candidates on the ballot, and it’s not clear that Trump’s Department of Justice would even prosecute Musk if it could, Hasen wrote.

Still, it’s alarming that the richest man in the world could be trying to buy votes in a highly contested and consequential election — and that at least one state court has already greenlighted a similar scheme before. Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler said in a statement Friday, “Musk can have his day in court, but he cannot buy the court.”

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Wisconsin

Sister Bay, Wisconsin: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards

Published

11 hours ago

March 3, 2026

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Sister Bay, Wisconsin: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards

Located in scenic Door County, Wisconsin, the town of Sister Bay is a waterfront town directly on Green Bay. Outdoor enthusiasts head to Sister Bay for its access to hiking trails, nature preserves, and water pursuits such as boating, fishing, and ice-skating during winter. The town hosts a number of seasonal festivals including a film fest, marina fest, outdoor concert series, and the Door County Festival of Fine Arts. The annual Roofing of the Goats Parade is a popular event tied to Al Johnson’s, a local restaurant known for goats that graze on its rooftop during summer months.

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Wisconsin

Vote: Who is Wisconsin High School Boys Basketball’s Top Guard of 2025-26?

Published

23 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Vote: Who is Wisconsin High School Boys Basketball’s Top Guard of 2025-26?

With the action-packed Wisconsin high school boys basketball regular season completed and March Madness beginning, it’s time to take a look at some of the outstanding players and cast your vote for the best.

We began by looking at the most prolific individual scoring threats, talented 3-point shooters,strong rebounders, and top free-throw shooters so now it’s time to take a look at the high-caliber guards from throughout the state.

There are hundreds of high-caliber boys basketball players in Wisconsin, and these lists are not intended to be comprehensive.

Voting remains open until March 9 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

(Players are listed in alphabetical order and all nominees are leaders from the 2025-26 season as compiled by Bound.com, and WIAA; the poll is below the list of athletes)

Castillo is averaging 25.4 points per game with 5.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals for Greendale (18-6 overall record).

Collien is averaging 15 points per game with 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists for Oakfield (21-3 overall record).

Edwards is averaging 14.1 points per game with 7.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists for D.C. Everest (21-3 overall record).

Gray Jr. was averaging 24.3 points per game with 6.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals prior for West Allis Central (22-2 overall record).

Hereford is averaging 36.4 points per game with 9.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 4.1 steals for Beloit Memorial (22-2 overall record).

Johnson is averaging 27.3 points per game with 8.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 3.6 steals for Milwaukee Juneau (22-1 overall record).

Jones is averaging 23.3 points per game with 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.6 steals for Germantown (15-9 overall record).

Kern is averaging 16 points per game with 6.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists for New Berlin West (21-3 overall record).

Kilgore is averaging 14.6 points per game with 7.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 3.0 steals for Kewaunee (24-0 overall record).

Kohnen is averaging 16.3 points per game with 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.3 steals for Slinger (20-4 overall record).

Knueppel is averaging 17.4 points per game with 7.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 1.4 steals for Wisconsin Lutheran (24-0 overall record).

Loose is averaging 18.2 points per game with 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.3 steals for Port Washington (23-1 overall).

Manchester is averaging 35.8 points per game for Mount Horeb (19-5 overall record).

Platz is averaging 19.5 points per game with 7.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists, and 1.4 steals for Brookfield East (19-5 overall record).

Prochnow is averaging 21.3 points per game with 11.1 assists, 4.8 assists, and 3.2 steals for Reedsville (21-3 overall record).

Resch is averaging 21.3 points per game with 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals for Arrowhead (18-6 overall record).

Schultz is averaging 27.4 points per game with 6.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.0 steals for Plymouth (17-7 overall record).

Schwalbach is averaging 15 points per game with 4.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals for Kaukauna (21-3 overall).

Sweeney is averaging 15.5 points per game for Appleton North (20-4 overall record).

Vandenberg is averaging 13 points per game with 2.3 assists and 2.0 rebounds for Freedom (23-1 overall).

About Our Player Poll Voting
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.

— Jeff Hagenau | jeffreyhagenau@gmail.com

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