(Headline USA) Billionaire megadonors are opening their wallets to influence the high-stakes race for control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
The winner of the April 1 election between Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford and Waukesha County Circuit Judge Brad Schimel will determine whether the court in battleground Wisconsin will remain under liberal control or flip to a conservative majority.
The 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court race, which was also for ideological control of the court, was the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history.
Some of the country’s most deep-pocketed political megadonors are getting involved.
Far-left oligarch George Soros gave $1 million to the Wisconsin Democratic Party in January. Other large donors included Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker at $500,000; Milwaukee philanthropist Lynde Uihlein at $490,000; Gloria Page, the mother of Google co-founder Larry Page, at $470,000; and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman at $250,000.
After those donations came in, the Democratic Party made three transfers to Crawford’s campaign totaling $2 million. The party previously gave Crawford $1 million.
“Susan Crawford is George Soros’ ideal investment,” Schimel’s campaign said in a statement Tuesday. “On Wisconsin’s Supreme Court, Susan Crawford has an agenda and Soros is buying into it.”
Under Wisconsin law, individuals can’t give more than $20,000 to Supreme Court candidates. But political parties can receive unlimited donations, which they can then give to the candidates.
Crawford has raised more than $7.7 million since she got into the race in June, including $3 million from the state Democratic Party.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has been at the center of some of the battleground state’s largest battles in recent years, including the outcome of the 2020 presidential election and legislative redistricting.
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press
