SUPERIOR, Wis. — As Elon Musk pours nearly $20 million into the Wisconsin Supreme Court race to buy off corrupt politician Brad Schimel, his company Tesla is currently suing the State of Wisconsin—a case in which Musk likely hopes Schimel will rule on.
Just days after Musk’s company sued the state on January 15, Musk tweeted out his support for Brad Schimel—after Schimel had been in D.C. for Trump’s inauguration. By mid-February, Musk started to spend in support of Schimel, and as of today, had poured nearly $20 million into the race. New reporting from The New York Times and The Associated Press highlight the corrupt link between Musk’s lawsuit and his support of Brad Schimel’s campaign.
Schimel has a long history of selling out to his campaign donors—he gave a sweetheart plea deal to a man caught with thousands of files of child pornography after taking over $5,000 in dirty cash from the man’s lawyer. And while the opioid epidemic devastated Wisconsin communities, Schimel looked the other way to the tune of $17,000 in pharmaceutical industry donations and was the only Wisconsin politician to accept money from Purdue Pharmaceutical. Then, he refused to join a bipartisan lawsuit against opioid manufacturers.
“Elon Musk and Brad Schimel’s corruption is on full display for Wisconsin voters to see. Right before Musk began spending money in support of Schimel, his company sued the State of Wisconsin—a case that Musk probably wants Schimel to rule on if he makes it to the Supreme Court,” said campaign spokesman Derrick Honeyman. “Schimel has a long history of being bought off for favors, and now Musk is the latest example. Schimel previously gave a sweet plea deal to a child predator after getting cash from the perp’s lawyer to fund his campaign, and Schimel looked the other way as Big Pharma stuffed his campaign pockets and devastated Wisconsin communities with addictive drugs. Wisconsinites deserve a Supreme Court Justice that puts fairness and impartiality first—not a career politician like Schimel who is always for sale to the highest bidder, this time Elon Musk.”
The New York Times: Why Elon Musk and Tesla Have a Legal Bone to Pick With Wisconsin
- The deluge of cash — $20 million and counting from Mr. Musk and groups tied to him — comes as his electric car company, Tesla, is suing Wisconsin over its law prohibiting vehicle manufacturers from selling cars directly to consumers. The law requires a franchisee to act as a middleman.
- Tesla filed the lawsuit in January, days before Mr. Musk began spending on the race. He has not publicly mentioned the litigation, but for weeks it has served as a backdrop of the April 1 election. The case is now before a court in Milwaukee County, but it could proceed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the coming months.
- “It is no coincidence that Elon Musk started spending that money within days of Tesla filing a lawsuit in Wisconsin,” Judge Crawford said during a televised debate this month.
The Associated Press: Tesla is suing to open dealerships in Wisconsin. It’s become a big deal in the Supreme Court race
- Tesla CEO Elon Musk and political groups he backs are pouring millions of dollars into the race for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court as the electric vehicle company sues to overturn a state law that prevents it from opening dealerships — a case that eventually could make its way to the high court.
- Tesla’s multiple attempts to open its own dealerships in Wisconsin keep running up against a state law that allows only third parties, not auto manufacturers, to operate them. The company filed a lawsuit in January seeking an exemption, just as two Musk-backed political action committees started supporting the Republican-backed candidate, Brad Schimel, over his opponent, Susan Crawford, who is supported by Democrats.
- Crawford’s supporters contend the timing of the contributions show Musk is trying to ensure that Schimel wins and creates a conservative majority on the court that ultimately would rule in Tesla’s favor. Crawford said during a debate with Schimel this month that Musk “has basically taken over Brad Schimel’s campaign.”
