Two Democratic senators on Friday called on the Pentagon and federal law enforcement agencies to investigate alleged communications between Elon Musk and Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, citing national security concerns. .
Democratic New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Democratic Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, have expressed concerns to Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Pentagon Inspector General. expressed. For more information about your request, letter It points to Mr. Musk’s role as CEO of SpaceX, a contractor that oversees the United States’ multibillion-dollar defense and intelligence projects.
They called for an investigation into whether Mr. Musk’s dealings with Russian officials merited disqualification that would bar him from certain government contracts.
“These relationships between Mr. Musk, a prominent adversary of the United States and a beneficiary of billions of dollars in US government funds, are material to Mr. Musk’s credibility as a government contractor and permit holder. “This raises many questions,” the senators wrote. “We urgently urge the U.S. government to launch an investigation, including the determination of senior military service officers in the Department of Defense, pursuant to Title 10, U.S.C. 4654, to determine whether this action warrants reconsideration. Musk remains involved in SpaceX’s various contracts with the Department of Defense and the intelligence community. ”
Breaking News: President Trump appoints Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to head new Office of Government Efficiency pic.twitter.com/2evX0bKcmL
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) November 13, 2024
Reports of Musk’s interactions with Russian officials date back to 2022, when political scientist Ian Bremer claimed that Musk discussed Russia’s nuclear red lines with Putin during the Ukraine conflict. According to to Reuters. Musk denied the claims and said he and Putin had not talked about Ukraine, but acknowledged they had a conversation about space 18 months ago. (Related: President Trump appoints Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to head new Office of Government Efficiency)
However, the Wall Street Journal report The controversy reignited in October when Musk claimed to have continued contact with senior Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin and deputy chief of staff Sergei Kiriyenko. Mr. Shaheen and Mr. Reid expressed concern about Mr. Musk’s alleged conversations with Mr. Kiriyenko. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted Kiriyenko on charges that he led a propaganda campaign using artificial intelligence to promote Russian interests on Musk’s social platform X (formerly Twitter).
The senators argued that any interaction between individuals with U.S. security clearance and foreign adversaries could pose significant risks. As the operator of the Starlink satellite network critical to Ukraine’s battlefield communications, SpaceX is a keystone of U.S. defense operations.
The company also has a $1.8 billion contract to develop a network of spy satellites and supports numerous missions for NASA and the Department of Defense, Reuters reported. Musk reportedly claimed to hold a U.S. security clearance that would allow him access to classified information related to these projects, The Atlantic reported. said.
All content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent, nonpartisan news distribution service, is available free of charge to legitimate news publishers with large audiences. All republished articles must include our logo, reporter byline, and DCNF affiliation. If you have any questions about our guidelines or our partnership, please contact us at licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
