Why Is Elon Musk So Invested in the Wisconsin Supreme Court Race?

Schimel/Musk

A Wisconsin state law prohibits automobile manufacturers from also owning dealerships. Nevertheless, in 2024 Tesla applied for dealer licenses to sell its vehicles. The state denied the request in December 2024. Tesla's appeal is now in the courts and working its way up the ladder to the state Supreme Court.

A conservative-controlled court would naturally be in a position to issue a Musk-friendly decision, so Elon has become quite enamored with conservative Brad Schimel, who's locked in a death race for an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court against Democrat-backed Susan Crawford. The Court is currently 5-4 liberal, and Musk and his boy want to flip it the other way.

So, yeah, Musk has been shoveling money into a Wisconsin operation to take over the Wisconsin court system, and Trump joined him endorsing Schimel last Friday. So what has happened is that the race is now Susan Crawford v. Elon Musk and Trumpism, which is not necessarily good for Brad Schimel.

Musk "barely knows" Brad Schimel, according to the NYTimes, and it wouldn't matter to Musk if he were a stickhorse so long as he will be a loyal tool on the state's highest court, a craven and careless self-interest that might make Schimel look worse than merely beholden. Musk is now trying public bribery as a way to win:

Musk dialed up his focus on Wisconsin on Thursday when his America PAC offered registered voters in the state $100 if they provided contact information and signed a petition opposing activist judges. The PAC also offered them $100 for each registered Wisconsin voter they referred to sign the petition — but the fine print of the offer said the PAC would determine whom to pay and noted payments may not be made for months. (WashPost)

That maniac needs to be stopped.