House Dems launch conflict-of-interest probe into $525 million in new NASA contracts to Musk’s SpaceX

House Dems launch conflict-of-interest probe into 5 million in new NASA contracts to Musk’s SpaceX

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Democrats in the House of Representatives have launched a new investigation into Elon Musk’s potential conflicts of interest at NASA.

In a letter sent to the space agency on Monday, Maxwell Frost of Florida and Gerry Connolly of Virginia — who both serve on the House oversight committee — demanded documents on all its dealings with Musk’s companies and what officials are doing to prevent conflicts.

It described Musk’s influence over the government and his effective leadership of DOGE as “a textbook example of corruption at taxpayers’ expense” by the world’s richest person.

It also noted that Musk’s rocket company SpaceX has already been awarded federal contracts worth more than $525 since Donald Trump returned to power, on top of at nearly $21 billion his companies have landed since 2008.

Musk is in the position of carving holes in federal agencies with massive staff cuts that his own companies can step in and fill.

“Mr Musk is redirecting billions of taxpayer dollars to fund his own financial interests while slashing federal employees, programs, and services on which all Americans depend,” charges the letter, which was first reported by Axios.

“Mr Musk also remains in charge of a sprawling private sector business empire that continues to rely on billions of dollars in government funding — and has been charged with managing his own conflicts of interest,” the lawmakers noted.

NASA, the White House, and SpaceX did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

As of late last month, the White House was still refusing to say whether or not Musk has filed any paperwork disclosing his financial interests, and refusing to release any such disclosure if it exists, NBC News reported.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted that Musk was “abiding by all applicable laws,” saying: “For concerns regarding conflicts of interest between Elon Musk and DOGE, President Trump has stated he will not allow conflicts, and Elon himself has committed to recusing himself from potential conflicts.”

Nevertheless, the congressmen’s letter catalogues numerous reports of Musk apparently interfering with NASA or appearing to affect its policies which could directly benefit his businesses.

Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk was engaging in a comprehensive effort to change NASA’s priorities and “install loyalists” in key positions of power.

According to the report, Musk helped put his friend Jared Isaacman — with whom he has extensive business connections — in line for the agency’s leadership, and is pushing to reallocate resources from landing on the moon to his own personal hobby horse of Mars.

“The known conflicts of interest presented in this arrangement … are illegal and must be addressed immediately,” the congressmen wrote.