In another post, he accused two Democrats — Sen. Jack Reid of Rhode Island, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees — calling them “puppets” and “inappropriate”. “.
A couple of Democrats sent a letter, external on Friday to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Defense Inspector General Robert Storch raised “serious questions about Mr. Musk’s credibility as a government contractor and (security) clearance holder.”
An associate of Donald Trump currently benefits from billions of dollars in US defense and intelligence contracts and claims to have a top secret security clearance.
“Russia’s space ambitions pose a direct threat to US national security,” Reed and Shaheen wrote, citing reports earlier this year that the US adversary had deployed anti-space weapons that may be capable of attacking other satellites at low levels. Earth orbit.
The senators note that, unlike other high-clearance individuals, Musk does not disclose his contacts with foreign government officials.
They add that the billionaire’s communications with Putin’s deputy chief of staff, Sergei Kiriyenko, come amid a Justice Department finding that Kiriyenko and other top officials participated in an attempt to sow Kremlin propaganda on social media, including Musk’s X (formerly the Twitter platform ).
“For these reasons, we are calling for an immediate review to determine whether Mr. Musk’s dealings with multiple senior Russian officials warrant an investigation and a determination by senior Defense Department officials whether SpaceX should exclude Mr. Musk from current or future U.S. government involvement. contracts,” Reid and Shaheen write.
Musk, who supported Trump’s successful 2024 re-election bid with campaign appearances and millions of dollars in donations, was tapped by the president-elect earlier this week to lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency.”
But he also participated in the diplomatic efforts of the future president.
Last week, Musk joined phone conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
The BBC’s American partner, CBS News, reported on Friday that he also recently visited the residence of the Iranian ambassador to the UN in New York. Washington does not have diplomatic relations with Tehran.
