White House Promotion The report highlights the time, when Tesla showrooms were increasingly beset by public protests, that Trump turned the White House lawn into a Tesla lot.
Lucrative Contracts The report highlights more than 20 instances of Musk or DOGE helping Musk’s enterprises secure new contracts on an inside track on rich lines of business.
Stymied Investigations When Trump took office, Musk companies faced federal penalties and enforcement actions totalling up to $2.4 billion, according to the report.
“Weaponizing” Federal Power The report links Musk to the Trump Federal Trade Commission’s “seemingly baseless” investigation into whether Media Matters colluded with advertisers.
“Influence-Peddling in Congress” The report links Musk’s White House influence to favorable provisions of the House budget bill, including funding for the “Golden Dome,” a space-based missile defense program that seems ready-made for Starlink.
Elon Musk is leaving the Trump White House, at least officially. A new Senate report looks at how the richest man in the world used his access to federal power to advance his numerous personal businesses, such as his brain-chip company Neuralink, aerospace contractor SpaceX, social media platform X, and electric vehicle company Tesla.
Being a “special government employee,” which restricted his time in the executive branch to 130 days, Musk is resigning from his position. In a press conference, Donald Trump gave Musk a “key” to the White House, demonstrating that the billionaire’s influence and his fight against his own regulators will endure.
Sen issued. D-Mass. Senator Elizabeth Warren. A list of 130 acts by Musk, his businesses, and family members that “raise questions about corruption, ethics, and conflicts of interest” is included in the report, which is titled “Special Interests Over the Public Interest: Elon Musk of the Trump Administration.”. “”.
Naturally, Musk was Trump’s largest backer during the 2024 campaign, contributing close to $300 million to elect Trump and other Republicans to office. He then moved to Washington with the 47th president after camped out at Mar-a-Lago during the presidential transition. Musk led the forces of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and dispatched vital organizations like USAID (the U.S. S. . Agency for International Development) via the “woodchipper,” probably condemning millions of vulnerable individuals worldwide to die from diseases that can be prevented.
The Warren report centers on Musk’s use of political influence to advance his companies or obtain preferential treatment that benefits his family and his fortunes, such as rich new contracts or regulatory relief.
Although it makes clear that “not every action listed … represents a violation of federal law,” the report contends that Musk has “violated norms at an astonishing pace” and supported and participated in activities that are “hurting the American public.”. Whether or not he faces criminal charges, it calls this “scandalous behavior.”. “.”.
There are fifteen categories on the Warren report’s list, which Rolling Stone has an exclusive sneak peek at below.
Editor’s selections.
1. White House Promotion.
The report focuses on the period when Trump converted the White House lawn into a Tesla lot as public protests grew more frequent at Tesla showrooms.
2. . Rich contracts.
More than 20 cases of Musk or DOGE assisting Musk’s businesses in obtaining new contracts on an inside track on lucrative business lines are highlighted in the report. For instance, it draws attention to Rolling Stone’s story about how Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees were told to find “tens of millions” of dollars for a lucrative new Starlink contract and a new $100 million NASA contract for SpaceX to launch an asteroid monitoring space telescope.
3. hindered inquiries.
According to the report, Musk companies faced up to $2.04 billion in federal penalties and enforcement actions when Trump took office. The federal government has permitted almost 40 cases against Musk companies to essentially go dormant, while other cases, such as a Department of Justice case against SpaceX for alleged anti-immigrant discrimination in hiring, have been dropped, Warren points out in reference to CNBC reporting.
4. . Hobbled supervision.
According to the report, Musk and the administration have targeted organizations that have the authority to regulate his companies, “gutting their staff, throwing sand in the gears of their operations, and embedding DOGE staff loyal to Musk.”. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a prime example of this, as it has the power to monitor Musk as he transforms X into a payment platform. Musk wrote, “Delete CFPB.” The administration has attempted to dismantle the agency. Reading Warren’s interview with Rolling Stone on this subject is recommended. ().
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5. Benefits of policy.
From rocket launches to biomedical brain implants, Musk works in a variety of highly regulated fields. Trump has turned the FAA into a SpaceX service agency, allowing rocket launches in spite of their frequent disastrous mishaps. During Trump’s auto tariff battles, the administration declared that vehicles with 85 percent domestic content were exempt from the tax; Teslas are reportedly the only vehicles in this category.
6. Exclusive Access.
A presidential megadonor has never had such unrestricted access to government information, intelligence, and decision-makers. According to the report, Musk was “privy to upcoming policy changes at the highest level of government,” many of which could improve his bottom line, and he participated actively in Trump Cabinet meetings despite not holding a Cabinet-level position.
7. An individual’s deep state.
Musk has a significant influence over federal HR decisions through DOGE, firing tens of thousands of workers and appointing loyalists to positions across the government. Now that they have permanent government jobs, many of these shills, like the head of the Federal Communications Commission, which is in charge of overseeing the radio spectrum required by SpaceX’s satellite internet company Starlink, will be able to implement Musk-aligned policies without direct supervision from Musk.
8. . “Interests in the local community.”.
The report connects Musk to the Trump administration’s unexpected and odd interest in the plight of South African white Afrikaans who were granted refugee status due to Musk’s false claims that they are facing a “genocide” — while other seriously vulnerable individuals from all over the world are being refused entry to the US.
Nine. Threatening Campaign.
A Wall Street Journal investigation into perceived threats from X executives, who hinted that a planned merger between ad conglomerates might encounter difficulties if ad clients didn’t increase their spending on the social media platform, is highlighted in the report.
10. . Using federal power as a “weapon.”.
Musk is connected to the “seemingly baseless” probe by the Trump Federal Trade Commission into whether Media Matters engaged in ad collusion, according to the report. In late 2023, X filed a lawsuit against the watchdog after Media Matters revealed that the platform’s advertisements were being shown alongside “pro-Nazi” content, prompting major brands to halt their campaigns.
11. . “Peddling for Influence in Congress.”.
According to the report, favorable provisions of the House budget bill, such as funding for the “Golden Dome,” a space-based missile defense program that appears to be a perfect fit for Starlink, are linked to Musk’s White House influence.
12. Take Advantage of Offers.
In addition to highlighting the dozens of agreements Musk companies have signed with nations threatened by tariffs, Warren’s report also details how Musk accompanied Trump on his tour of the Persian Gulf, where the DOGE chief announced his own agreements, including that Neuralink had signed an agreement to start clinical trials in the United Arab Emirates.
13. . Every member of the family.
According to the report, Musk’s influence is helping his family members land deals. For example, his brother recently signed an agreement with Persian Gulf states to install drone light shows, and his father is reportedly in negotiations to construct a Musk Tower in Dubai.
14. judicial interference.
The report highlights Musk’s unsuccessful attempt to fund a conservative takeover of the Wisconsin state Supreme Court and his campaign to impeach judges who disagree with Trump.
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15. — Refused “Maximum Transparency.”.
The report concludes that despite DOGE’s pledge of “maximum transparency,” Musk has concealed his actions that defy the norms behind a curtain of secrecy, failing to disclose his enormous financial holdings or any potential waivers of federal ethics requirements.
See the complete report here.
