Schiff presses White House on Musk conflicts of interest, ethics

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) pressed the White House on Monday for information about Elon Musk’s compliance with conflict of interest, ethics and reporting requirements, as the tech billionaire leads a sweeping effort to overhaul of the executive branch from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

In a letter to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Schiff noted that as a “special government employee,” Musk is subject to a federal criminal conflict of interest statute that bars government employees from participating in matters in which they have a financial interest.

Musk, who is leading DOGE’s push to slash trillions of dollars in government funding, “retains significant financial interests in multiple private companies that benefit from federal government contracts,” Schiff wrote.

Tesla and SpaceX have received at least $15.4 billion in government contracts over the past 10 years, The New York Times reported in October.

However, the California Democrat wrote, “Mr. Musk’s compliance with federal conflicts of interest and other related obligations remains unknown to Congress and the public.”

Schiff pressed Wiles about Musk’s compliance with the law, or whether he had received a waiver from the White House exempting him from penalties under the statute. He also asked whether the Tesla and SpaceX CEO had completed a financial disclosure report.

When asked about Musk’s potential conflict of interests last week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Musk would excuse himself if any conflicts appeared during his DOGE work.

“If Elon Musk comes across a conflict of interest with the contracts and the funding that DOGE is overseeing, then Elon will excuse himself from those contracts. And he has, again, abided by all applicable laws,” Leavitt said during a press briefing.

Musk’s DOGE has moved quickly in the weeks since Trump took office to reshape the executive branch, primarily by gaining access to the technology infrastructure of federal agencies.

Most notably, DOGE-affiliated employees were given access to a sensitive federal payment system at the Treasury Department, sparking outcry from Democrats and prompting numerous lawsuits.

A federal judge blocked Musk and his DOGE employees from accessing the system, which handles 90 percent of federal payments, over the weekend.

The panel has also moved to dismantle the United States Agency for International Development, seeking to place thousands of employees on leave. However, a federal judge temporarily blocked the move Friday.

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