March 28, 2025
The Honorable David L. Lasee The Honorable Josh Kaul
District Attorney of Brown County Attorney General, Wisconsin Department of Justice
300 E. Walnut St., PO Box 23600 PO Box 7857
Green Bay WI 54305-3600 Madison WI 53707-7857
Subject: Potential Violations of Wisconsin Election Law
Dear District Attorney Lasee and Attorney General Kaul,
I am writing to bring to your attention potential violations of Wisconsin election laws concerning recent financial incentives related to election petitions and participation. Reports indicate that Elon Musk has offered financial incentives, including payments of $100 to individuals signing election-related petitions and awarding up to $1,000,000 to a resident of Green Bay. These actions raise serious concerns about potential election bribery and the integrity of our electoral process.
Wisconsin law prohibits bribery in relation to election activities, including offering money or valuables in exchange for electoral participation or influence. The state has already seen extensive scrutiny on election funding sources, as evidenced by the Republican-controlled Legislature’s expenditure of over $2,000,000 to investigate private funding received by municipalities, including contributions from Facebook’s founders, under the premise that such funding constituted improper election influence. Given previous investigations targeted external funding for election administration, it is imperative that these latest direct monetary offers receive the same level of scrutiny and legal review.
The principle of fair and transparent elections must apply uniformly, regardless of the source of influence. The actions allegedly taken by Elon Musk set a dangerous precedent where financial power is used to shape electoral outcomes, directly contradicting the core tenets of Wisconsin’s election integrity laws. If these payments or incentives are found to be in violation of election statutes, appropriate legal action should be pursued to ensure the integrity of Wisconsin’s democratic process.
I urge your offices to investigate this matter with the same diligence previously applied to other election-related funding concerns. Public trust in our electoral system depends on consistent enforcement of the law, and allowing financial incentives to influence election-related activities undermines confidence in Wisconsin’s democratic process.
Thank you for your time and attention to this urgent matter. Please let me know if I can provide further information or if additional citizen input is needed.
Sincerely,
Amaad Rivera-Wagner
State Representative
90th Assembly District
