One of the employees Elon Musk earns from $ 100,001 and $ 1 million annually as a political advisor to his boss -millionaire, while helping the federal agency regulating the two largest Moscow companies, according to court protocol Report on financial disclosure of information received propublica.
Ethics experts have stated that Christopher Young-work in the musk campaign, as well as in the Department of Government Effectiveness, violates the federal rules of conflict. Musk publicly called for the liquidation of the agency, the Consumer Financial Defense Bureau, claiming it was “duplicate”.
The rules of government ethics of the bars collaborated on what “would make a smart man call into question their impartiality“And designed to prevent even the use of public positions for private profit.
The court records show that Young, which works in a musk company called Europa 100 LLC, participated in the efforts of the Trump administration to disclose consumer agency operations and dismiss most of its employees in early February.
Young’s agreement raises questions where his loyalty is, experts said. According to them, dynamics are particularly concerned announced in January What he collaborated with Visa on mobile payments.
The richest person in the world, in turn, did not hide his desire to get rid of the bureau, having placed a few weeks after winning Donald Trump’s election “Delete CFPB. Too many duplicated regulatory agencies“
“Musk clearly has a conflict of interest and should abandon,” said Claire Finkelstein, which manages the Ethics Center and the rule of law in Pennsylvania. “And that is why his employee, who answers him on the personal side, outside the government, and who can maintain his work only if he supports Moscow’s personal interests should not work on Doge.”
Young, a 36-year-old republican consultant, has been actively working in political circles for many years, acting as a treasurer of the Moscow Political Action Committee, Helping Tech Titan spending over a quarter of billions of dollars to help choose Trump.
Before the Moscow salaries, he worked as a vice -president on pharmaceutical studies and manufacturers of America, a trade association that represents the interests of the pharmaceutical industry, shows his disclosure. He also worked as a field organizer at the Republican National Committee and for former Governor Louisiana Bobby, The New York Times reported.
Young was appointed a special government worker in the US Management Office on January 30 and sent to work at CFPB in early February, according to the court record and its form of disclosure. Someone with his position can earn up to $ 190,000 a year through earnings, documents Bloomberg is obtained Show. At the same time, Young is collecting salary as an employee of LLC LLC 100 LLC, based in Musk where, where, According to a report on disclosureHis duties are “advising political and state policy”.
In addition to this description, it is unclear what, for sure, does the young in Europe 100 or what the company’s activity.
It was established in July 2020 by Jared Birchal, a former banker who manages the Moscow family office, Sustainable LLC, in accordance with state records. The company was used to pay babysitting, at least some of the Musk children, According to Tabloid’s report 2023and, together with the other two muscles Company financing reports show.
As a special government officer, Young can support employment, performing a limited amount of time. But such government workers are still obliged to comply with the laws and rules governing the conflict of interest and personal and business relations.
Cynthia Brown, Senior Ethics, dares to citizens for responsibility and ethics in Washington, which sued the administration To create a number of state records that documented the activities of Doge, stated that the work of the Government Young is benefiting the employer of the private sector.
“In which hat do you wear while you serve the American people? Do you do it for the interests of your external work?” she asked.
In addition to its role in Europa 100, Young reported other ties with Musk’s private business. He confirmed in his form of disclosure that “continues to participate” in a “certain contribution” plan, which is funded by the Office, and that he has served since February as the “Vice President” of the United States Inc. While it lists the latter among “compensation sources exceeding $ 5,000 a year”, the exact figure is not revealed.
Young did not respond to the call and emails that sought to comment. CFPB, DOGE and the White House did not respond to comment requests.
Musk did not respond to the e -mail, seeking comments, and Birchla did not say that he was left by the number he lists in public formations. The lawyer who helped form the United States of America, hung when she got to the comments and did not respond to the following message. Asked how his business interests and state work can cross, Musk said in February that “I will abandon myself if it’s a conflict.“
Opening an obvious violation of federal standards of Young’s behavior worth a number of PROPBLICA stories that documented as Another DOGE assistant helped to fulfill the administration’s attempts to introduce mass dismissals in CFPB while keeping $ 715,000 in stock The fact that the officer of the bureau is forbidden to possess – the actions of one expert called “Quite a clear violation“The Federal Statute of the Criminal Conflict of Interest. The White House defended the assistant, saying that he” did not even cope “with the layoffs,” making all this story from a simple lie. “The press -secretary also stated that the assistant had to bring on May 8, though he did not understand whether the White House did not answer. The work assistant in CFPB is over.
On Monday, a group of 10 good state and consumer groups, citing Propublica, Sent a letter to General Inspector CFPBAsking him “to quickly investigate these obvious violations of the interests that act in their personal financial interests.”
PROPUBLICA has identified nearly 90 officials designed for DOGEAlthough it is unclear how much, if any, have potential conflicts. State institutions slowly produce forms of financial disclosure. But Finkelstein said the cases reported by Propublica calls into question the motivation of the efforts of the consumer guard agency.
“This matters because it means that the officials working on the government, which should be devoted to the interests of the American people, do not necessarily focus on the good of the country, but instead it can be focused on the benefit of themselves, independently enriching or trying to please their boss, focusing on the enrichment of their superiors.”
CFPB union workers sued the CFPB Director Russell Wuts to stop their attempts to scale the bureau and its activities dramatically. Since his post, Trump administration has twice tried to dismiss almost all agency staff, trying to cancel almost all of their contracts and Mandated mandates for stopping that stifled virtually all agenciesIncluding companies investigations, Propublica reports earlier.
The parties will appear before the Appeal Court this Friday for verbal arguments in the case that determines how deeply the Voa can reduce the agency, providing, while guaranteeing that it carries out dozens of Congress mandates, entrusting it when the legislators created the Bureau after the 2008 financial crisis.
The court records made in court cases offer a window to the role that the young one plays in CFPB squeezing during the first administration attempt to divert the bureau since the beginning of February.
It was sent to CFPB headquarters on February 6, just two days after the Minister of Treasury Scott Igent, acting director of the agency, ordered the staff and contractor to stop the work. The next day, young and other DOGE assistants have access to non -classified CFPB systems, the court records show. The same day, Musk published “CFPB RIP” with the tombstone.
On February 11 and 12, Young was included on e -mails with higher agency officials. One of such messages discussed cancellation of more than 100 contractsact that described in contract officers oath As “all contracts related to forced implementation, supervision, external affairs and consumer response.” Another message is related to how to translate to the Ministry of Finance Some of the more than $ 3 billion of civilian punishments that the bureau has raised from companies to resolve Consumer Protection CasesA step that could refuse that consumers were compensated. Third discussed the terms of the agreement that would Allow mass dismissal of employeesindicate court records.
In Its form of financial disclosureWhich he signed on February 15, Young listed his work at Musk Europa 100 as an active, starting in August 2024 through “modernity”.
Then, in early March, when the legal struggle for the reduction of the administration was played before the federal judge, Young sent CFPB CEO the report of the upcoming shooting known as a “decline” or RIF, in a government park. In the email, he asked if the officials were “ready to implement the RIF” if the judge abolished the temporary stay, reports A Opinion of March District Court At the moment, this has stopped the majority of the officers.
In addition to employment, Young’s disclosure represents another potential conflict.
It also lists the possession of as much as $ 15,000 in Amazon Stock, a company that is on the “prohibited possessions” list. Agency staff is forbidden to have such investments and Experts on ethics stated that participation in the agency’s action This may increase the value of the stock-departure, getting rid of the CFPB of its staff-is a violation of the charter of the criminal conflict of interest.
Young also did not answer the questions.
Al show made a report and Alex Mireyski have made research.
