An Elon Musk-backed nonprofit is contributing millions to bolstering a conservative candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, according to a report.
The nonprofit, Building America's Future, donated $1.5 million towards ads in the state in support of Brad Schimel, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported. Schimel previously served as the state’s attorney general and currently serves as a circuit court judge in Waukesha County.
Musk isn’t the only one who has contributed significant cash to influence the race. Richard Uihlein, the CEO of shipping company Uline who donated tens of millions to groups supporting Donald Trump’s 2024 re-election, has also contributed $1.35 million on TV ads attacking Schimel’s liberal rival Susan Crawford, the outlet reported. His wife Elizabeth Uihlein also donated $650,000 to the Wisconsin GOP and billionaire founder of TD Ameritrade Joe Ricketts gave $500,000, NBC News reported.
An election to determine the ideological balance of the state’s highest court will be held April 1. The candidates are fighting to fill a vacant seat after liberal Justice Ann Walsh Bradley announced her plans to resign last year.
Despite the influx on money, when speaking at a Marquette University Law School event Tuesday, Schimel said he’s not “for sale.”
"Ultimately, the only answer to [the outside spending] is that the individual running for office — and frankly, this applies to all offices for the judicial or legislative or executive branch — you can't be for sale," Schimel said, according to the outlet. "People want to support you. It should be [that] they're supporting you because they like the things that you stand for, not because they're buying some result."
"I appreciate anybody that will help me get my message out there because it's hard to reach all the voters in Wisconsin," he added.
The world’s richest man and White House senior adviser has made his support for Schimel clear in the past. Last month, Musk posted on X advocating for Wisconsinites to “vote Republican” in April.
“Very important to vote Republican for the Wisconsin Supreme Court to prevent voting fraud!” he wrote on January 23 in an X post.
Musk’s intervention didn’t go unnoticed by Schimel. “Elon Musk noticed this race a week and a half ago or so,” he told local Republicans at a meet-and greet, according to audio obtained by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
“I don’t know if he’s found his checkbook, though,” he added.
In response to the developments, Crawford’s campaign wrote on X: “Elon Musk is buying off Brad Schimel.”
Crawford, a circuit court judge in Dane County and former assistant state attorney general, has also received hefty donations via the state’s Democratic party.
Democratic billionaire donor George Soros donated $1 million, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker donated $500,000 and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman donated $250,000 to Wisconsin Democrats this year, according to multiple reports.
