DOGE activities, SpaceX and Tesla contracts, Starshield controversy among planned probes

Musk included on Democrats' 'Trump corruption' list

Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks at an indoor event related to the presidential inauguration parade in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2025 (local time). [AP]
Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks at an indoor event related to the presidential inauguration parade in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2025 (local time). [AP]

The Democratic Party is expected to launch targeted investigations into President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla and the Republican Party's biggest financial backer, if Democrats win back the House majority in the midterm elections.

Politico reported Tuesday (local time) that prospective House committee chairs and Democratic lawmakers are planning congressional investigations into Musk. The probes are expected to cover his tenure leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), SpaceX's contracts with NASA, Tesla's clean-energy subsidy benefits, and allegations that Musk blocked access to Starshield — a military satellite internet service used in Ukraine — in a move that has drawn recent controversy.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said, "What happens when someone wins a massive government contract and then uses it to cut off communications in the war to support Ukraine, which is so critical to the United States?" She added that "there are many different aspects of the corruption around Musk."

Rep. Greg Meeks (D-NY), who leads his party's side on the Foreign Affairs Committee, criticized the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development, saying it was "led by Musk and carried out by Secretary of State (Marco) Rubio" and "did not save taxpayers a single penny, did not balance the budget, and did not make America one bit safer."

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), who leads her party's side on the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, said Musk and "the DOGE gang sowed chaos, destroyed people's careers, and played a major role in the illegal cancellation of research grants and the firing of civil servants." She said it was necessary to better understand the damage DOGE had done to scientific agencies.

The office of Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), who leads his party's side on the Oversight Committee, said Garcia has "significant questions about the role Elon Musk played at DOGE" and announced plans to investigate the matter.

A Democratic member of the Oversight Committee who requested anonymity said, "I think DOGE was the original sin. No one is above the law. I hope there will be subpoena-backed investigations into Elon Musk and DOGE."

Some lawmakers have already taken action without waiting for the election results.

Democratic members of the Homeland Security Committee have called on Musk to testify in connection with a Government Accountability Office report released last month that found DOGE had overstated its cost-saving results, while the Ways and Means Committee has urged an investigation into a data breach suspected to involve DOGE.

Musk donated $276 million to Republican causes in the midterm elections.

Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and a member of the Oversight Committee, said his committee must conduct oversight of the Trump administration, but that "equally important is oversight of the corporations and ultra-wealthy individuals who have sought to corrupt our government."

"Elon Musk is on that list," Casar said, adding: "It takes two to tango."


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