Two senior Senate Democrats have called for a federal investigation into reports of Elon Musk having communicated with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other high-ranking Russian officials. According to them, these engagements can peril the security clearance of Musk and the legitimacy of his space company, SpaceX that has contracts with the U.S. government.
Pentagon and Justice Department Urged to Review
Ranking members on the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, Senators Jack Reed and Jeanne Shaheen, urged the Pentagon and the Justice Department to check whether Musk’s reported conversations with Russian officials would call for a review of his national security clearance and defense contracts held by his company. The letter written by Reed and Shaheen specifically zeroed in on Musk’s reliability as a government contractor.
“The Russians’ ambitions in space pose a direct threat to U.S. national security,” Reed and Shaheen said in their letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Defense Department Inspector General Robert Storch. It followed concerns raised relating to increased threats from Russia, including the development of counter-space weapons against U.S. satellites. “The U.S. adversary has launched a counter-space weapon that could potentially be used against other satellites in low-earth orbit,” the senators said.
Musk Believes On Social Media
Musk responded to the critics with his usual bravado on the platform X (formerly Twitter) by denying all the allegations in a series of posts. He boldly wrote, “I’m going to find out who’s making these accusations and nuke them”.
In another post, Musk attacked Senators Reed and Shaheen, calling them “puppets” and “knuckleheads,” in an attack to discredit not only their credibility but also motives outright.
Security Clearance Under the Spotlight
In their letter, Reed and Shaheen raise serious questions over Musk’s security clearance and point out that he, unlike others with similar clearance, has not reported contacts with foreign government officials. “Unlike others with high-level security clearance, Musk does not report his contacts with foreign government officials,” the senators wrote.
This is a particularly pointed concern given that Musk has millions of dollars in U.S. defense contracts, including big deals with SpaceX, which performs services for the Pentagon and intelligence agencies. Musk also has a known top-secret level security clearance.
Musk’s Communications with Russian Officials
Specifically, senators pointed to Musk’s alleged correspondence with Sergei Kiriyenko, who serves as the deputy chief of staff to Putin, in light of accusations that Kiriyenko is involved in initiatives to circulate propaganda produced by the Kremlin on social media. In addition, the U.S. Department of Justice has also connected Kiriyenko to broader Russian schemes aiming to manipulate social media, including X, which Musk controls.
Thus, Reed and Shaheen emphasized in their letter, “For these reasons, we urge an immediate review to determine whether Mr. Musk’s relationship with multiple high-level Russian officials warrants an investigation.” Moreover, they asked that the Department of Defense’s senior debarment official make a determination as to whether Musk’s presence with SpaceX should be reevaluated based on such activity.
Musk’s Presence in Trump Campaign and Diplomatic Campaigns
In addition to such defense contract windfalls, Musk has been a vocal supporter of Donald Trump, giving millions of dollars and headlining several rallies on behalf of the president-elect. The president-elect recently appointed Musk to lead his new “Department of Government Efficiency.” Musk has also weighed in on diplomatic efforts, recently speaking by phone to discuss international issues with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
(Includes inputs from online sources)
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