Green Bay lawmaker condemns decision not to charge Elon Musk

GREEN BAY, Wis. — State Representative Amaad Rivera-Wagner released the following statement after La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke, serving as special prosecutor, declined to charge Elon Musk over his $1 million payments connected to Wisconsin’s 2025 Supreme Court election.

Rivera-Wagner helped organize thousands of Wisconsinites who gathered outside Musk’s Green Bay event in March 2025 to declare that Wisconsin was not for sale. He later joined Representative Lee Snodgrass in introducing legislation clarifying that paying someone to vote or refrain from voting constitutes election bribery. The Republican-controlled Legislature did not give the proposal a hearing.

“I am angry and deeply frustrated. The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission voted 5–1 that there was probable cause to believe Elon Musk violated Wisconsin’s election-bribery law. Yet the world’s richest man once again escapes accountability.

“Here in Green Bay, local community organizations trying to help their neighbors vote were warned by the district attorney that offering food, drinks, rides, or even a bottle of water could constitute election bribery. Their effort was canceled. We have watched people get sued, charged, fired, or pressured to resign over minor mistakes. But when $1 million payments are connected to casting a ballot, there are no charges. That is why working people believe we have two systems of justice: one for the wealthy and well-connected and another for everyone else. Justice cannot depend on the size of your bank account.”

The decision comes as the U.S. Supreme Court opens the door for President Donald Trump to pursue new restrictions on mail voting, potentially disrupting elections administered by the states. The Court did not determine that Trump’s directive is lawful, and separate litigation continues.

“As the Supreme Court opens the door for Donald Trump to interfere with how states administer mail voting, a prosecutor has declined to hold Elon Musk accountable for attempting to use his wealth to influence a Wisconsin election. Together, these decisions send a dangerous message about who holds power and who is expected to follow the rules. But when too many people threw up their hands as our democracy was put up for sale in 2025, everyday Wisconsinites showed up. If those entrusted to enforce our laws will not hold the powerful accountable, the people of Green Bay and Wisconsin will do it at the ballot box. We will elect leaders who work for people, not billionaires.

We cannot be bought. Wisconsin is not for sale, and our democracy is worth preserving.”