Citing 'conflict of interest,' Brown County DA hands Elon Musk case to La Crosse County
Citing a conflict of interest, the Brown County district attorney is handing complaints from state elections officials against billionaire Elon Musk to the La Crosse County district attorney.
Brown County District Attorney David Lasee made the announcement Friday, saying his office received a pair of complaints against Musk from the elections commission last month.
That’s after the Wisconsin Elections Commission voted 5-1 that there was probable cause that Musk violated state law by making a social media post offering $1 million to people who voted in the 2025 state Supreme Court election.
WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter.
In March 2025, Musk handed out a pair of oversized checks at a rally he held in Green Bay for conservative candidate Brad Schimel. Musk was the biggest financial player in the race, backing Schimel, who ultimately lost to liberal Susan Crawford.
Shortly after the commission released its decision, a pair of Democratic state lawmakers from northeast Wisconsin joined activists in calling on Lasee’s office to take action.
“These blatant attempts were vote-buying schemes, and findings of the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission make it clear that the time to act on charges is now,” state Rep. Lee Snodgrass, D-Appleton, said at a press conference last month. “With just four months to go before the midterms, we must send a message loud and clear that Wisconsin’s votes are not for sale.”
In his Friday statement, Lasee said he concluded that his office “has a conflict of interest in this matter” and that La Crosse District Attorney Tim Gruenke would serve as a special prosecutor to conduct a review of the elections commission referral.
“Gruenke is an experienced prosecutor, who is highly competent and well-respected throughout the state,” the statement read. “I am confident that DA Gruenke will carefully and professionally review this matter and arrive at an appropriate conclusion.”
Gruenke did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Lasee is a Republican. Gruenke is a Democrat.
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2026, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
