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A new investigation has started into Elon Musk over new billion-dollar SpaceX contracts.
As of recent, Musk has been a controversial figure Trump’s administration, partly because he is not an elected official, calling him ‘crazy Uncle Elon’.
Now, his alleged 'conflicts of interest' with his political and private ventures have been a cause for concern among US officials.
Maxwell Frost of Florida and Gerry Connolly of Virginia - both on the House oversight committee - have requested documents from NASA's chief legal officer related to the agency’s dealings with Musk’s companies and what officials are doing to prevent conflicts.
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In their letter, the lawmakers accuse the world's richest man of having too much sway over federal decision-making, calling his role in directing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) a 'textbook example of corruption at taxpayers’ expense.
The South African's companies have received close to $21 billion in federal funding since 2008, according to the letter. This includes over $525 million in new contracts awarded to SpaceX since Donald Trump’s return to office.
It seems Musk's actions aren't just coincidental with his White House responsibility to cut back on staff and programs across federal agencies. Doing so has allegedly allowed Musk to use his own companies to fill in the staff gaps.
"Musk is redirecting billions of taxpayer dollars to fund his own financial interests while slashing federal employees, programs, and services on which all Americans depend," the letter states, as per Axios. "At NASA, where Mr. Musk has both benefited from significant contracts and has the potential to receive vast amounts of new business, his defiance of recusal laws and control of operations directly benefit his businesses.
It added: "The known conflicts of interest presented by this arrangement are illegal and must be addressed immediately."
The lawmakers also noted that Musk’s ongoing control of SpaceX and his hands-on involvement with other government-affiliated projects enables him to 'manage his own conflicts of interest.'
While the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt insists that Musk is 'abiding by all applicable laws,' officials have yet to confirm whether he has filed the required financial disclosures. She added: "For concerns regarding conflicts of interest between Elon Musk and DOGE, President Trump has stated he will not allow conflicts, and Elon himself has committed to recusing himself from potential conflicts."
In another attempt to benefit his businesses, The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk was engaging in a comprehensive effort to change NASA's priorities and 'install loyalists' in key positions of power. That includes allegedly helping his business associate Jared Isaacman secure a key role in the agency as they shift the focus from NASA's lunar missions to Musk's long-term Mars colonisation plans.
