Home Judiciary Democrats despatched a terse letter Friday to newly minted Lawyer Normal Pam Bondi, expressing issues that Elon Musk’s function at DOGE creates “conflicts of curiosity” because of what they stated are his “sprawling monetary pursuits” in federal contracts and subsidies.
Democrats contend that Musk’s corporations’ routine engagement with federal companies on protection contracts, telecommunications rules, and power coverage is difficult by his participation in governmental issues impacting these sectors — which dangers violating the legislation as a result of his monetary pursuits might be straight implicated.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk arrives to the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump within the Rotunda of the Capitol in Washington, DC, Jan. 20, 2025.
Chip Somodevilla/through Reuters
“Mr. Musk’s place as an SGE calls for heightened scrutiny,” the lawmakers write of their letter to Bondi that was first obtained by ABC Information. “The legislation’s prison and civil enforcement mechanisms, which fall solely beneath the DOJ’s authority, should be rigorously utilized to stop precise or perceived conflicts of curiosity.”
The group asserts that 18 U.S.C. § 208 “explicitly prohibits” federal workers, together with Particular Authorities Workers like Musk, from “collaborating personally and considerably in a selected Authorities matter that may have an effect on his personal monetary pursuits, in addition to the monetary pursuits of sure people with whom he has ties outdoors the Authorities.”
View Home Judiciary Democrats letter to AG Pam Bondi on Scribd
The letter was additionally despatched to David Huitema the director of the U.S. Workplace of Authorities Ethics.
The AG’s workplace and Huitema did not instantly remark concerning the request.
Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump’s selection to guide the Justice Division as legal professional common, seems earlier than the Senate Judiciary Committee for her affirmation listening to, on the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 15, 2025.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Democrats additionally imagine Musk is topic to “strict disclosure requirements” established by the Cease Buying and selling on Congressional Data, or STOCK Act, which requires Musk to publicly disclose monetary pursuits that might create conflicts together with his federal function atop DOGE.
SpaceX and its subsidiary Starlink, corporations that Musk owns, have acquired roughly $1.7 billion from NASA, $1.3 billion from the Air Power, and $199.2 million from the Protection Info Programs Company — a large complete over $3.3 billion in simply the previous 12 months, based on USASpending.gov.
Democrats reject that the White Home believes it is as much as Musk to self-determine whether or not there’s a battle of curiosity. President Trump has repeatedly stated that if there was a battle, Musk wouldn’t work on areas of concern.
“If there is a battle then we can’t let him get close to it,” Trump stated Monday. “He would know to not do it, so we’ve not had that but. But when there was a battle, we would not let him work in that space.”
Of their letter, Democrats urged DOJ and OGE “to promptly examine” whether or not Musk’s actions or engagements as an SGE have violated legislation and to “take applicable enforcement motion if warranted.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) gestures as demonstrators rally outdoors the U.S. Treasury Division after it was reported billionaire Elon Musk, who’s heading U.S. President Donald Trump’s drive to shrink the federal authorities, has gained entry to Treasury’s federal funds system that sends out greater than $6 trillion per yr in funds on behalf of federal companies and accommodates the private info of thousands and thousands of Individuals, in Washington, Feb. 4, 2025.
Kent Nishimura/Reuters
“The American individuals deserve assurances that no particular person, no matter stature, is permitted to affect coverage for private acquire,” the letter states. “Failure to implement this statute dangers eroding confidence within the impartiality of federal decision-making.”
The letter is signed by 11 Democrats on the Judiciary Committee, together with the rating Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin, and Reps. Deborah Ross, Hank Johnson, Pramila Jayapal, Becca Balint, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Steve Cohen, Eric Swalwell, Mary Homosexual Scanlon, Jasmine Crockett, Dan Goldman — in addition to Rep. Valerie Foushee of North Carolina.
