Due to suspected multiple violations of federal reporting agreements, American billionaire Musk and his space exploration company (SpaceX) will face multiple military reviews, involving sensitive issues such as intelligence leaks.
Joint review by multiple departments
The U.S. (New York Times) reported on the 18th that Musk and SpaceX are currently facing three reviews from the U.S. Air Force, the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense, and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security.
Musk, file photo
Multiple insiders have revealed that the roots of this series of reviews stem from Musk and SpaceX's repeated violations of federal reporting regulations, underreporting or concealing many itinerary arrangements, including important details of his meetings with certain foreign leaders. According to government confidentiality regulations, Musk not only has to report his travel abroad to the Defense Department, but his private life also needs to ensure a certain level of transparency. However, Musk has not adhered to such regulations since at least 2021.
Reuters reported that in November this year, Musk was reported by two Democratic senators, claiming that he had been in contact with several Russian officials, including Russian President Putin. The whistleblowers also called for the Defense Department and relevant law enforcement agencies to investigate Musk. However, the three aforementioned departments generally took an evasive stance when approached by the media for verification.
Two U.S. Defense Department officials stated that the Pentagon's higher-ups are wary of this future 'Secretary of Government Efficiency' and have specifically instructed subordinates not to discuss the matter of 'scrutinizing Musk' to avoid being 'optimized'.
Refusal to grant classified access
Several media outlets noted that the U.S. Air Force recently refused to grant Musk high-level security clearance, citing concerns about 'potential security risks'.
The U.S. (Wall Street Journal) reported that although Musk nominally holds 'top secret' level clearance, he does not have access to the U.S. government's 'highest secrets,' which require additional authorization for 'Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI)'.
However, some of SpaceX's launch projects closely cooperate with U.S. intelligence and security departments, and such cooperation often touches on SCI, which means that as the head of SpaceX, Musk not only cannot access 'most classified SpaceX facilities' but also is unclear about 'what satellites are actually carried by the rockets launched by his company.'
(New York Times) stated that the U.S. Air Force's concerns are not unfounded. In recent years, several countries, including Israel, have questioned Musk's ability to maintain confidentiality, fearing that he may share sensitive information with others. There are also complaints within SpaceX that 'Musk almost shares every piece of information online, from video games to diplomatic meetings.'
Suspected 'retaliation'
Regarding Musk's latest actions, some public opinion suspects he is, to some extent, facing 'retaliation', especially since his relationship with the current government is far from good. As the 'head of Tesla', Musk was sued by the National Labor Relations Board in 2018 for being anti-union, and Tesla has also faced exclusion from other car manufacturers.
As tensions escalated, the Biden administration's 'New Energy Vehicle Summit' held in August 2021 intentionally excluded Tesla, surprising Musk. After the two sides 'tore their faces', the U.S. Departments of Transportation, Justice, Interior, and other market regulatory agencies launched a series of reviews on Musk's companies, issuing multiple hefty fines.
