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Elon Musk is the target of new conflict of interest questions from Democratic members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Specifically, they asked key figures in the Trump administration whether Musk, who currently heads up the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), had any "conflicts of interest" or "liabilities" including ties to hostile foreign powers. They also asked about "illegal drug" use and government contracts.
The Democrats have written letters to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, FBI Director Kash Patel, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles requesting information about Musk. Newsweek contacted Musk for comment via the Tesla and SpaceX press offices on Monday by email outside of regular office hours. Why It Matters Following his second presidential inauguration on January 20, Trump appointed Tech billionaire Musk, a close political ally during the 2024 presidential election, to head up DOGE.
The advisory department was tasked with slashing what its founders regarded as wasted government spending and oversaw a substantial reduction in the federal headcount, though this was later partially overturned by the courts. The fresh letters demonstrate a Democratic desire to keep both Musk and Trump under pressure amidst ongoing controversy about the Tesla and SpaceX CEO's influence within the administration. What To Know A press release, published by Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on May 1, said they had written to Hegseth, Wiles, Gabbard and Patel "demanding information about Elon Musk's ties to foreign governments like China and Russia, Musk's growing treasure chest of government contracts awarded to his companies, the history of his drug use, and potential liabilities that would make him vulnerable to coercion and corruption."
Hegseth, Wiles, Gabbard and Patel were all asked to provide any relevant documents to the committee members by May 15, 2025, at the latest. The letters were signed by Rep. Gerald Connolly, the ranking Democratic member of the committee, and all 20 of its other Democratic members. However none of the 26 House Republicans sitting on the committee signed.
In April, Democrats on the committee announced they were investigating what they described as "glaring conflicts of interest" between Musk's involvement in the Trump administration and his commercial activities. Elon Musk, wearing two hats, speaks during a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 30, 2025. Elon Musk, wearing two hats, speaks during a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 30, 2025.
JIM WATSON/AFP/GETTY In August 2024, Musk strongly denied using illegal drugs following a report in the Wall Street Journal that he had used LSD, cocaine, psychedelic mushrooms and ecstasy at private parties. In March the New York Times reported Musk would be briefed about U.S. military plans for a potential war with China. The business tycoon described the reports as "pure propaganda" adding: "I look forward to the prosecutions of those at the Pentagon who are leaking maliciously false information to NYT.
They will be found." In 2019, Tesla opened a factory in Shanghai which produces about half of all Tesla vehicles according to the Wall Street Journal. According to an analysis by the Washington Post, Musk spent around $288 million supporting Trump and other Republican candidates during the November 2024 elections.
On Saturday, voters in Cameron County, Texas, approved plans to officially designate Starbase, a facility established by Tesla, as a city. What People Are Saying In a statement Rep. Connolly said: "The Democratic Members of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform are conducting an investigation into Elon Musk, special government employee and senior adviser to President Donald Trump, and the extensive ties he has to China, Russia, and other foreign governments and officials. "Given the vast and growing number of government contracts awarded to Mr. Musk and his companies, including from the Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration (GSA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)—as well as the multiple conflicts of interest arising from them—the Democratic Members of the Committee are interested in whether he has fully disclosed all connections, interactions, payments, and business with foreign governments and officials."
What Happens Next It is unclear whether any of Hegseth, Wiles, Gabbard and Patel plan to reply to the Democratic committee members' letter. The members' powers to compel documents are weakened as they are only a minority of the committee and don't have the support of any Republican members.
