Elizabeth Warren Demands Trump Set Up ‘Conflict Of Interests’ Guardrails For Elon Musk
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) demanded the implementation of robust conflict-of-interest rules for Elon Musk, who has emerged as a key figure in President-elect Donald Trump’s inner circle.
Musk, the world’s richest man, plays an influential advisory role in Trump’s transition team while overseeing several companies with significant government contracts and regulatory entanglements.
Warren’s letter, sent Monday and seen by the Washington Post, highlighted her concerns about Musk’s dual roles as a billionaire entrepreneur and a government adviser.
“Putting Mr. Musk in a position to influence billions of dollars of government contracts and regulatory enforcement without a stringent conflict-of-interest agreement in place is an invitation for corruption on a scale not seen in our lifetimes,” she wrote. The Massachusetts senator called for a comprehensive ethics plan to prevent Musk’s private interests from clashing with his public role.
“Currently, the American public has no way of knowing whether the advice that he is whispering to you in secret is good for the country — or merely good for his own bottom line,” she wrote.
Musk, who reportedly spent over $250 million to support Trump’s election campaign, has taken on a high-profile position in the incoming administration.
His responsibilities include spearheading Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency project to slash federal spending. Yet, as Warren’s letter points out, Musk’s business empire — spanning Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and Starlink — stands to benefit directly from federal funding and contracts. Tesla, for instance, receives government subsidies for its electric vehicle charging stations, while SpaceX is deeply involved in NASA missions.
Federal law prohibits employees from working on matters that affect their financial interests, and ethics policies bind transition team members. However, it remains unclear whether Musk is adhering to these standards. Warren’s letter includes 14 pointed questions, such as whether Musk has agreed to recuse himself from decisions involving his companies.
