In another post, he criticized Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the ranking Democrat on the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committee, calling them “puppets” and “knuckleheads.” “.
Two Democratic lawmakers sent a letter., external On Friday, Attorney General Merrick Garland and Defense Department Inspector General Robert Storch raised “serious questions about Musk’s credibility as a government contractor and (security) clearance holder.”
Donald Trump allies claim they currently benefit from billions of dollars in U.S. defense and intelligence contracts and hold top-secret level security clearances.
“Russia’s ambitions in space pose a direct threat to U.S. national security,” Reed and Shaheen wrote. It pointed to a report earlier this year that U.S. adversaries had deployed counterspace weapons that could attack other satellites in low-emission areas. Earth orbit.
Senators noted that, unlike others with high-level security clearances, Musk does not report contact with foreign government officials.
They say the billionaire’s communications with Putin’s chief of staff, Sergei Kiriyenko, implicated Kiriyenko and other senior officials in an effort to plant Kremlin propaganda on social media, including the Musk-owned X (formerly X), according to the Justice Department. It was added that it came out during the investigation. Twitter) platform.
“For this reason, we are seeking to determine whether Mr. Musk’s relationships with several senior Russian officials warrant an investigation and a decision by a senior Department of Defense bar official as to whether SpaceX should bar Mr. Musk from any current or future involvement with the U.S. government. We urge immediate review of the contract,” Reed and Shaheen wrote.
Musk, who supported Trump’s successful 2024 re-election bid with campaign appearances and millions of dollars in donations, was selected by the president-elect earlier this week to lead the new ‘Department of Government Effectiveness.’
But he also participated in the president-elect’s diplomatic efforts.
Last week, Musk had phone calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
The BBC’s U.S. partner CBS News reported Friday that he recently visited the residence of Iran’s UN ambassador in New York. Washington does not have diplomatic relations with Tehran.
