Billionaire Elon Musk has given $1 million checks to voters in Wisconsin after the state Supreme Court refused to intervene.
According to foreign media, Musk announced the award earlier this week, ahead of the tightly contested Wisconsin Supreme Court election to be held on Tuesday.
Wisconsin Attorney General and Democrat Josh Kaul had sued to stop the checks from being issued, arguing that Musk was violating a state law prohibiting gifts in exchange for votes.
The race, which could return control of the state Supreme Court to Republicans, has become a battleground and the most expensive judicial election in American history.
Speaking at a rally on Sunday night, Musk said "we want judges to be judges", before handing out two $1m (£750,000) cheques to voters who had signed a petition to ban "activist" judges.
Kaul had tried to argue that the donation was an illegal attempt to buy votes. Musk's lawyers, in response, argued that Kaul was "restraining Musk's political speech and limiting his First Amendment rights."
Musk's lawyers added that the payments were "intended to generate a grassroots movement in opposition to activist judges, not to expressly advocate for or against any candidate."
After two lower courts sided with Musk, Kaul petitioned the state Supreme Court to review the case, but it unanimously refused.
Musk and President Donald Trump have backed a conservative candidate, Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel, in hopes of turning the court liberal-leaning.
Judge Schimel is running against Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, who has been endorsed by the state's liberal Supreme Court justices. (A2 Televizion)
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