WASHINGTON, D.C. — Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is demanding answers from President-elect Donald Trump on Elon Musk’s role as a top advisor in his incoming administration, expressing concerns in a letter about the billionaire’s “massive conflicts of interest.”
After defeating President Joe Biden in the November 2024 election, Trump put Musk, the world’s richest man, in charge of the Department of Government Efficiency, an outside advisory committee that will work with people inside the government to reduce spending and regulations.
In the letter, Warren described Musk as “no ordinary citizen” and pointed out that he is the CEO of several companies, including SpaceX and Tesla, that have significant interests before the federal government.
“Mr. Musk’s substantial private interests present a massive conflict of interest with the role he has taken on as your ‘unofficial co-president,’” Warren wrote to Trump. “Currently, the American public has no way of knowing whether the advice that he is whispering to you in secret is good for the country—or merely good for his own bottom line.”
Warren said that Tesla has obtained nearly $42 million in government contracts to provide electric vehicles and services to the government and SpaceX has received nearly $20 billion in government contracts.
Warren specifically referenced Tesla’s stock surge in the days after Trump’s election win, noting that it increased Musk’s fortune by $70 billion.
“Federal law contains ethics rules for government employees that are specifically designed to protect the public from dangerous conflicts of interest and ensure that government employees are working on behalf of the public interest rather than twisting government policy to line their own pockets,” Warren added in the letter. “As a member of the transition team, Mr. Musk is not a federal employee, but the conflicts he faces are enormous and the need for him to be subject to similar ethics standards is obvious.”
Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate, will serve as DOGE’s co-chair alongside Musk. The pair have said that they would encourage Trump to make cuts by refusing to spend money allocated by Congress.
Warren requested that Trump’s transition team provide answers to her questions no later than Dec. 23, 2024.
Read Warren’s full letter to Trump below:
Warren Letter to Trump 12-16-24 by Boston 25 Staff on Scribd
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2024 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
