Post by Zhi Zhu 🕸️

32d

What Was Elon Musk’s Team Really Up To At Treasury?

Is A Federal Judge Getting The Whole Story On Musk?
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/morning-memo/what-was-elon-musks-team-really-up-to-at-treasury

"The #Justice Department is making representations in court to a federal judge in #DC about what has and had not occurred at #Treasury, and ...

It is not at all clear that what #DOJ is telling the judge is accurate or complete...

bad information or nefariousness"

#ElonMusk #Tech #Coup #Trump #Autogolpe #Politics #Government #News #US #USA

Sub-headline and text from article:
Is A Federal Judge Getting The Whole Story On Musk?

A lot of new reporting this morning on what Elon Musk’s team has been up to at Treasury. The substance of it matters for what are obvious reasons, and I’ll get to that in a moment.

But there’s important new context in which this is happening: The Justice Department is making representations in court to a federal judge in DC about what has and had not occurred at Treasury, and the judge is relying on those representations to issue a temporary restraining order to try to lock in the previous status quo.

It is not at all clear that what DOJ is telling the judge is accurate or complete. Whether that’s because the judge hasn’t asked the right questions or the Justice Department lawyers haven’t been given complete information from Treasury or everyone is operating from a deficiency of technical knowledge, there are plausible explanations that stop well short of outright lying or deceit. But whether it’s bad information or nefariousness, the stakes are a lot higher with an active court case on the matter pending.

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32d

Doge v USAid: how Elon Musk helped his acolytes infiltrate world’s biggest aid agency

Exclusive: Takeover of USAid agency by Doge operatives seen as pilot for large-scale overhaul of federal government
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/05/musk-doge-takeover-usaid

" #USAid security personnel were defending a secure room holding sensitive and classified #data in a standoff with “department of government efficiency” employees when a message came directly from #ElonMusk: give the #DOGE kids whatever they want."

#Musk #Tech #Coup #US

News headline:
USAid
Doge v USAid: how Elon Musk helped his acolytes infiltrate world’s biggest aid agency

Exclusive: Takeover of USAid agency by Doge operatives seen as pilot for large-scale overhaul of federal government

by Andrew Roth in Washington
Wed 5 Feb 2025 12.26 EST

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32d

How Elon Musk’s deputies took over the govt’s most basic functions:
The #Trump administration views a once-obscure federal #IT unit as the “Swiss army knives” in its effort to overhaul the federal bureaucracy.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/05/elon-musk-federal-technology-takeover/

"Elon Musk’s allies are turning a once-obscure federal #IT unit into the linchpin of their sweeping campaign to tear down the federal bureaucracy...

the #Technology Transformation Services (TTS) section of the General Services Administration"

#Musk #Coup #Tech

News headline:
How Elon Musk’s deputies took over the government’s most basic functions

The Trump administration views a once-obscure federal IT unit as the “Swiss army knives” in its effort to overhaul the federal bureaucracy.

Updated
February 5, 2025 at 3:34 p.m. EST February 5, 2025

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32d

Musk’s Inexcusable Conflicts
https://contrarian.substack.com/p/musks-inexcusable-conflicts

"Elon Musk is a #government employee “who also owns companies that have billions of dollars in federal contracts"...

#conflicts of interest...

According to statute, high-level officials—almost all of whom wield much less power than #Musk currently does—must file publicly available financial disclosures.

Govt #ethics professionals then...

None of that has happened with Elon Musk."

#Corruption #ElonMusk #Coup #Politics #US #News #Press

Text from article:
Big picture: It is, of course, absurd to rely on Elon Musk to recognize and respond to his own conflicts of interest. As far as I can gauge, Musk does not even recognize that he is not an elected official. Even if he had been, the only place in the federal government that relies on officials to police their own conflicts is the Supreme Court…and, well, we know how that has turned out.

Nearly fifty years ago, Congress created a system for proactively detecting and preventing conflicts of interest. Here’s how the system is intended to work. According to statute, high-level officials—almost all of whom wield much less power than Musk currently does—must file publicly available financial disclosures.

Government ethics professionals then comb through those financial disclosures and identify situations where officials have to abstain (or “recuse”) from participating in government matters, and where they have to divest from financial holdings that create conflicts. Journalists, non-government organizations, and the public can access those financial disclosures and serve as a further check on conflicts of interest.

None of that has happened with Elon Musk.

There has been no public disclosure of his finances—nor is there any indication that Musk has ever submitted his finances (confidentially or otherwise) for government ethics professionals to review and advise him about the conflicts created by his numerous government contracts and other financial holdings...

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32d

US #government officials privately warn Musk’s blitz appears illegal:
The billionaire’s #DOGE team has launched an all-out assault on federal agencies, triggering numerous #legal objections.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/04/elon-musk-government-legal-doge/

"legal objections have been raised at the #Treasury Dept, the #Education Dept, the #USAID, the General Services Administration, the Office of Personnel Management, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission & the White House budget office, among others."

Musk #Coup #News #USA #Law

News headline:
U.S. government officials privately warn Musk’s blitz appears illegal

The billionaire’s DOGE team has launched an all-out assault on federal agencies, triggering numerous legal objections.

Updated February 4, 2025

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32d

The Week in Musk...

On the chopping block: The National Weather Service
https://www.muskwatch.com/i/156642222/on-the-chopping-block-the-national-weather-service

"The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which manages the National Weather Service & National #Hurricane Center... On Tuesday, Musk's team entered the agency’s offices...

#NOAA primarily gathers data on changes to the #climate & #weather patterns... The fact that NOAA quantifies the effects of #ClimateChange has made it a target of Republican ire."

#Musk #Coup #News #USA #USPol

Sub-headline and text from article:
On the chopping block: The National Weather Service

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which manages the National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center, appears to be the next federal agency that Musk will target. On Tuesday, Musk’s team entered the agency’s offices in Silver Spring, Maryland, Axios reported. CBS News, citing former NOAA officials still in contact with current employees, reported that the agency was told to expect a 50% reduction in staff and a 30% reduction to its budget.

NOAA primarily gathers data on changes to the climate and weather patterns. The data is particularly vital during extreme weather events, which have become increasingly frequent as a result of manmade climate change. The fact that NOAA quantifies the effects of climate change has made it a target of Republican ire. Project 2025, a Trump administration blueprint crafted by the Heritage Foundation, called for breaking up NOAA, claiming it is a “colossal operation that has become one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry and, as such, is harmful to future U.S. prosperity.”

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32d

This week in Musk...

DOGE to be unleashed on air traffic control systems
https://www.muskwatch.com/i/156642222/doge-to-be-unleashed-on-air-traffic-control-systems

" #Musk said on Wednesday that he had received approval from #Trump to dispatch his #DOGE team to rework the complex #safety system designed to prevent planes from smashing into each other...

automating the Federal #Aviation Administration’s #ATC system...

... plans to let the DOGE team “plug in” to the ATC system to install unspecified upgrades"

#AI?

#Tech #Technology #Coup #Travel #News #USA

Headline and text of article:
DOGE to be unleashed on air traffic control systems

Musk said on Wednesday that he had received approval from Trump to dispatch his DOGE team to rework the complex safety system designed to prevent planes from smashing into each other. “The @DOGE team will aim to make rapid safety upgrades to the air traffic control system," Musk wrote in a post on X.

The exact changes DOGE plans to make to air traffic control (ATC) procedures are unclear. The only specifics Musk outlined were in reference to a system that informs pilots about potential risks in their flight paths. Musk then argued for automating the Federal Aviation Administration’s ATC system.

Trump shared some additional details on Thursday. “We're all gonna sit down and do a great computerized system for our control towers,” the president said. “Let's spend less money and build a great system done by two or three companies... When I land in my plane, privately, I use a system from another country.”

The announcement came one week after an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with a commercial flight attempting to land at Reagan Washington National Airport, resulting in 67 deaths and the worst domestic aviation disaster in almost 15 years.

Musk is collaborating with the Department of Transportation on the project, according to Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. Duffy wrote on X that he plans to let the DOGE team “plug in” to the ATC system to install unspecified upgrades...

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32d

Is Elon Musk Serving Two Masters?
Elon Musk’s efforts to slash the US govt could be a huge boon to China—a country to which Musk has significant financial ties.
https://newrepublic.com/article/191265/elon-musk-us-china-usaid-tesla

"Musk’s actions are more in service of his personal financial interests—and the Chinese #government...

...cozy relationships with both #Trump & Chinese President #XiJinping... boost #China as it positions itself to replace the #US at the forefront of the #world stage."

#Musk #Corruption #Coup #News #Press #USA

News headline:
Double-dipping
Is Elon Musk Serving Two Masters?

Elon Musk’s efforts to slash the U.S. government could be a huge boon to China—a country to which Musk has significant financial ties.

by Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling
February 7, 2025

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32d

Trump and Musk Take a Hammer to America’s Reputation:
Their version of America is selfish, wasteful, and cruel.
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-and-musk-take-a-hammer-to-america-reputation-usaid-foreign-aid

#ElonMusk "wealthy beyond the dreams of Croesus, chose as his first target the poorest & most vulnerable people on #Earth...

#USAID is a duly constituted #government agency created by #Congress & #POTUS ... The attempt to close it... is flagrantly #illegal"

[USAID = 0.4% of US federal budget,
priceless good will]

#Musk #Coup #Trump #Politics #Law #USA #News

News headline from The Bulwark.

Trump and Musk Take a Hammer to America’s Reputation

Their version of America is selfish, wasteful, and cruel.

by Mona Charen
Feb 07, 2025

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32d

Musk’s rats:
They’re burrowing into every #data system in the federal govt, although many wouldn’t pass a #security test
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/doge-poop

"Sure, there’s some waste & fraud in #government. That’s why every department had an #InspectorGeneral to find & stop it — until #Trump fired most of them. In addition, before Musk’s rats tunneled into the General Services Administration, accountants oversaw every department’s & agency’s spending.

In other words, the #coup continues."

#Musk #News

Headline:
Musk’s rats

They’re burrowing into every data system in the federal government, although many wouldn’t pass a security test

by Robert Reich
Feb 07, 2025

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32d

DOGE Betrays Foundational Commitments of the Privacy Act of 1974:
Musk’s attempts to gain access to agency databases is an egregious violation of the Act, which protects personal information from abuse.
https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/doge-betrays-foundational-commitments-of-the-privacy-act-of-1974

"No one—not even special govt employees—should access agency “systems of records” without proper authorization under the Privacy Act of 1974. Nothing suggests that #Musk or his employees have such authority... Profound harms to #privacy & #democracy are at stake."

#News

Headline:
DOGE Betrays Foundational Commitments of the Privacy Act of 1974

Musk’s attempts to gain access to agency databases is an egregious violation of the Act, which protects personal information from abuse.

by Danielle Citron
Friday, February 7, 2025, 11:58 AM

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32d

The Government’s Computing Experts Say They Are Terrified:

Four IT professionals lay out just how destructive Elon Musk’s incursion into the US govt could be.
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/02/elon-musk-doge-security/681600/

"“This is the largest data breach & the largest #IT #security breach in our country’s #history—at least that’s publicly known”...

nobody yet knows which info #DOGE has access to, or what it plans to do with it...

“I don’t think the public quite understands the level of danger.”"

#Musk #Coup #Tech #News #USA

News headline: Technology
The Government’s Computing Experts Say They Are Terrified

Four IT professionals lay out just how destructive Elon Musk’s incursion into the U.S. government could be.

By Charlie Warzel and Ian Bogost

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32d

A US Treasury Threat Intelligence Analysis Designates DOGE Staff as ‘Insider Threat’:
An internal email ... calls DOGE staff’s access to federal payments systems “the single greatest insider threat risk the Bureau of the Fiscal Service has ever faced.”
https://www.wired.com/story/treasury-bfs-doge-insider-threat/

" #DOGE, was granted read & write privileges on two of the most sensitive systems in the US #government... that according to #Treasury records paid out $5.45 trillion in fiscal year 2024."

#Musk #Coup #Crime #News #USA

News headline:
A US Treasury Threat Intelligence Analysis Designates DOGE Staff as ‘Insider Threat’

An internal email reviewed by WIRED calls DOGE staff’s access to federal payments systems “the single greatest insider threat risk the Bureau of the Fiscal Service has ever faced.”

by Vittoria Elliott and Leah Feiger
Politics
Feb 7, 2025 2:47 PM

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32d

Musk’s DOGE Teen Was Fired By #Cybersecurity Firm for Leaking Company Secrets:
Edward Coristine posted online that he had retained access to the firm’s servers. Now he has access to sensitive govt information.
https://archive.is/1v8FG#selection-1405.0-1411.136

“I can confirm that #EdwardCoristine 's brief contract was terminated after the conclusion of an internal investigation into the #leaking of proprietary company information"

#ElonMusk #Tech #Coup #Musk #DOGE #Politics #Government #Data #Security #News #US #USA

News headline: Politics |Cybersecurity

Musk’s DOGE Teen Was Fired By Cybersecurity Firm for Leaking Company Secrets

Edward Coristine posted online that he had retained access to the firm’s servers. Now he has access to sensitive government information.

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32d

Elon Musk’s #DOGE Is Expected to Examine Another #Treasury System Next Week:
The new target, sources said, is a sensitive database that tracks the flow of money across the #government.
https://www.propublica.org/article/elon-musk-doge-cars-treasury-examine

"The #data in the system, known as the Central Accounting Reporting System, or #CARS, is considered sensitive...

People who work with the system have in the past been briefed that the #database may be of interest to foreign #intelligence agencies"

#Musk #Coup #Tech #Security #News #USA

News headline: Trump Administration
Elon Musk’s DOGE Is Expected to Examine Another Treasury System Next Week

The new target, sources said, is a sensitive database that tracks the flow of money across the government.

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32d

DOGE Staffer Who Quit Over Racist Posts Is Already Coming Back to Work:
Elon Musk said it was time to “forgive” and move on.
https://newrepublic.com/post/191327/elon-musk-rehire-doge-staffer-racist-posts

" #Musk made #SocialMedia posts expressing his support for #MarkoElez, the #DOGE staffer who wrote in September that he couldn’t be paid to “marry outside [his] ethnicity,” and that people should “normalize Indian hate.” Musk also... attacking the #journalist who had brought the racist posts to light"

#ElonMusk #Coup #Racism #Bigotry #News #USA

Headline:
DOGE Staffer Who Quit Over Racist Posts Is Already Coming Back to Work

Elon Musk said it was time to “forgive” and move on.

Edith Olmsted
February 7, 2025 / 5:00 p.m. ET

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32d

“Authoritarian Rampage”: Trump/Musk Sued to Block DOGE Access to Confidential Info of Millions
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/2/7/doge_lawsuit

"Thursday, a #lawsuit by a coalition of #labor unions prompted the Labor Dept to agree not to release any sensitive economic & privacy #data to DOGE. The agency holds sensitive data likely including worker complaints against #Musk & his companies. The lawsuit argues, quote, ”DOGE seeks to gain access to sensitive systems before courts can stop them""

#Coup #Politics #News #US

Headline:
“Authoritarian Rampage”: Trump/Musk Sued to Block DOGE Access to Confidential Info of Millions

Story February 07, 2025

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32d

Trump Has Disturbing Response to DOGE’s Massive Overreach of Power:
Donald Trump admitted that Elon Musk’s agency has access to too much sensitive data.
https://newrepublic.com/post/191322/donald-trump-elon-musk-doge-overreach-power

"“Why does #DOGE need all of that?” asked one reporter.

“Well, it doesn’t, but they get it very easily,” Trump admitted. “I mean, we don’t have very good #security in our country, & they get it very easily.”

#Trump appeared completely unbothered by the massive intrusion on the #privacy of #US citizens"

#Musk #Coup

News headline:
Trump Has Disturbing Response to DOGE’s Massive Overreach of Power

Donald Trump admitted that Elon Musk’s agency has access to too much sensitive data.

Edith Olmsted
February 7, 2025 / 4:23 p.m. ET

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32d

Trump Purges Inspectors General Investigating Musk’s Businesses:
At least five federal agencies that have investigated Musk companies had their inspectors general axed by Trump.
https://www.levernews.com/trump-purges-inspectors-general-investigating-musks-businesses/

" #Trump (likely illegally) fired more than a dozen inspectors general... At least 5 of those IGs came from agencies currently leading or that previously led investigations into Elon Musk’s businesses... which hold billions of dollars in #government contracts."

#Corruption #Musk #News #US #USA

News headline from The Lever:
National Politics
Feb 7, 2025
Trump Purges Inspectors General Investigating Musk’s Businesses

At least five federal agencies that have investigated Musk companies had their inspectors general axed by Trump.

by Katya Schwenk, Lucy Dean Stockton, and Veronica Riccobene

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32d

WTF Is DOGE Doing in Department in Charge of #Nuclear Weapons?

The Dept of Energy tried to clarify why DOGE staffers suddenly got some IT access to a department that oversees the US nuclear stockpile.
https://newrepublic.com/post/191319/doge-energy-department-nuclear-weapons

"one of Elon Musk’s #DOGE underlings was granted access to the dept’s #IT systems despite opposition from its general counsel & #cybersecurity offices...

#LukeFarritor, 23... was granted access by #Energy Secretary #ChrisWright"

#Musk #Coup #Tech #Politics #News #US

News headline:
WTF Is DOGE Doing in Department in Charge of Nuclear Weapons?

The Department of Energy tried to clarify why DOGE staffers suddenly got some I.T. access to a department that oversees the U.S. nuclear stockpile.

Hafiz Rashid
February 7, 2025 / 3:46 p.m. ET

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32d

Elon Musk to Install DOGE Crony Amid Treasury Department Takeover:
Elon Musk’s takeover of the Department of Treasury just got much more ominous.
https://newrepublic.com/post/191307/elon-musk-doge-treasury-department-payments-takeover

"One of Elon Musk’s allies, #TomKrause... will become the financial asst secretary of the #Treasury after clashing with #DavidLebryk, the previous secretary [since 1989], over illegally ceasing payments on foreign aid."

#ElonMusk #Coup #Trump #Musk #DOGE #Politics #Government #Finance #USPol #News #US #USA #Press

News headline:
Elon Musk to Install DOGE Crony Amid Treasury Department Takeover

Elon Musk’s takeover of the Department of Treasury just got much more ominous.

by Hafiz Rashid
February 7, 2025 / 1:52 p.m. ET

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31d

All the ways Elon Musk is breaking the law, explained by a law professor:

There are a lot of them.
https://www.vox.com/politics/398618/elon-musk-doge-illegal-lawbreaking-analysis

"Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is moving fast and breaking the #law — lots of laws.

...David Super, an administrative law professor... [said] so many of Musk’s moves were “so wildly illegal” that he seemed to be “playing a quantity game, and assuming the system can’t react to all this illegality at once.”"

#Musk #Coup #Politics #Government #News #USA

News headline: Politics

All the ways Elon Musk is breaking the law, explained by a law professor

There are a lot of them.

by Andrew Prokop
Feb 6, 2025, 11:05 AM CST

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31d

Federal judge denies effort to block DOGE from accessing DOL data despite 'concerns'

DOL employees have been told to give DOGE access to any information it requests.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/judge-decide-block-doge-accessing-sensitive-labor-department/story?id=118575362

"In his ruling, federal Judge John D. Bates found that the five federal employee unions that alleged Elon Musk's cost-cutting team sought to illegally access highly sensitive #data, including medical records, failed to establish standing."🤷‍♀️

#Musk #Coup #Labor #DOL #Corruption #Politics #News #USA

News headline:
Federal judge denies effort to block DOGE from accessing DOL data despite 'concerns'

DOL employees have been told to give DOGE access to any information it requests.

By Laura Romero and Peter Charalambous
February 7, 2025, 9:25 PM

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31d

Federal judge blocks Musk’s DOGE from access to Treasury Department material

The judge also ordered Musk and his team to “immediately destroy any and all copies of material downloaded from Treasury Department’s records and systems, if any.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/02/07/trump-musk-government-efficiency-attorneys-general-lawsuit/

"federal judge issued an emergency order early Saturday prohibiting... #DOGE from accessing... the #Treasury Department...

ruling came hours after attorneys general from 19 states sued to stop Musk’s team"

#Musk #Coup #News #USA

Washington Post headline:
Federal judge blocks Musk’s DOGE from access to Treasury Department material

The judge also ordered Musk and his team to “immediately destroy any and all copies of material downloaded from Treasury Department’s records and systems, if any.”

Updated
February 8, 2025 at 2:1

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31d

Attorney General Bonta Sues Trump Administration Over DOGE’s Unlawful Access to Americans’ Personal Information
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-sues-trump-administration-over-doge%E2%80%99s-unlawful-access

"In today’s #lawsuit, 19 attorneys general argue that this executive action has allowed people associated with... #DOGE to access #Americans’ personal and private #information, including bank account and social security numbers. The lawsuit seeks to immediately halt improper access to this sensitive information"

#Musk #Coup #Treasury #government #News #USA

Headline:
Attorney General Bonta Sues Trump Administration Over DOGE’s Unlawful Access to Americans’ Personal Information

Press Release Attorney General Bonta Sues Trump Administration Over DOGE�…

Friday, February 7, 2025

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31d

Did #Trump Quietly Kill a Sensitive Pentagon Probe into Elon Musk?

NYT revealed last year that #Musk & #SpaceX failed to meet federal reporting requirements for Pentagon contractors. No one has asked: What’s going on with that today?
https://newrepublic.com/article/191330/trump-quietly-kill-sensitive-pentagon-probe-elon-musk

" #ElonMusk... repeatedly failed to meet... requirements designed to safeguard #NationalSecurity despite being deeply entangled w/the #military & #intelligence bureaucracy.... Musk’s meetings w/foreign leaders"

#Corruption #Politics #News

News headline:
HMMM...
Did Trump Quietly Kill a Sensitive Pentagon Probe into Elon Musk?

The New York Times revealed last year that Musk and SpaceX failed to meet federal reporting requirements for Pentagon contractors. No one has asked: What’s going on with that today?

by Greg Sargent
February 8, 2025

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