Elon Musk gives out $1 million checks to 2 voters at Green Bay event ahead of high-stakes Supreme Court race

GREEN BAY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- After taking the stage in a Cheesehead hat at an event inside the KI Convention Center in Green Bay, Elon Musk gave out two $1 million checks to voters who cast ballots in Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race.

"Thanks for coming! What do you think of my hat?" Musk said at the beginning of the rally. 

The Tesla CEO and advisor to President Donald Trump received criticism for this move, which he addressed as he distributed the checks on Sunday, March 30.

"The reason for the checks is that it's really just to get attention. And it's somewhat inevitable, when I do these things, it causes the legacy media to kind of lose their minds,” Musk said.

Musk went on to say he gave out the checks out of appreciation for those who made their way to the polls in the competitive race for control of the state’s high court.

Musk on Friday initially said in a post on his social media platform, X, that he planned to "personally hand over" $2 million to a pair of voters who have already cast their ballots in the race.

Musk later posted a clarification, saying the money would go to people who will be "spokesmen" for an online petition against "activist" judges. After first saying the event would only be open to people who had voted in the Supreme Court race, he said attendance at Sunday’s event would be limited to those who have signed the petition.

Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul filed an emergency petition with the state Supreme Court Sunday. Kaul asked the high court to intervene and prohibit Musk from giving money away to two people at a town hall event he hosted in Green Bay Sunday evening.

The court issued a unanimous ruling Sunday evening denying Kaul's request for the Supreme Court to hear the case and issue an emergency injunction keeping Musk from moving forward with the giveaway.

This race is being regarded as the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history.