Due to suspected repeated violations of federal reporting agreements, American billionaire Musk and his space exploration company (SpaceX) will face multiple reviews from the military, involving sensitive issues such as intelligence leaks.
Joint review by multiple departments
The New York Times reported on the 18th that Musk and SpaceX are currently facing three reviews, which come from the U.S. Air Force, the Department of Defense Inspector General's Office, and the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security.
Musk, file photo
Several insiders revealed that the root of this series of reviews lies in Musk's and SpaceX's 'repeated violations of federal reporting regulations,' underreporting or concealing numerous travel arrangements, including important details of his meetings with certain foreign leaders. According to government confidentiality regulations, Musk is required to report his overseas travel to the Department of Defense, and even his private life must maintain 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 for allegedly contacting several Russian officials, including Russian President Putin. The whistleblowers also called for the Department of Defense and relevant law enforcement agencies to investigate Musk. However, the three departments mentioned have generally adopted an evasive attitude when approached by the media for verification.
Two officials from the U.S. Department of Defense stated that the Pentagon's upper echelons are wary of this future 'Secretary of Government Efficiency,' having specifically instructed subordinates not to discuss the matter of 'reviewing Musk' to avoid being 'optimized.'
Deny granting access to classified information
Multiple media outlets noted that the U.S. Air Force recently denied Musk a high-level security clearance, citing concerns over 'potential security risks.'
According to the Wall Street Journal, although Musk nominally holds 'Top Secret' clearance, he does not have access to the U.S. government's 'highest secrets,' which require additional authorization, namely 'Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI).'
However, some of SpaceX's launch projects closely cooperate with U.S. intelligence and security departments, and such collaborations often touch on SCI, which means that as the leader of SpaceX, Musk not only cannot access 'most classified SpaceX facilities' but also does not know 'what satellites are actually carried by the rockets launched by his company.'
The New York Times states that the concerns of the U.S. Air Force are not unfounded. In recent years, several countries, including Israel, have questioned Musk's ability to keep secrets, fearing he would disseminate sensitive information to others. Some within SpaceX have also complained, saying, 'Musk posts almost any information online, from video games to diplomatic meetings.'
Suspected of 'retaliation'
Regarding Musk's latest movements, there are opinions that he is somewhat a victim of 'retaliation,' as his relationship with the current government is far from good. As Tesla's 'leader,' Musk was already sued by the National Labor Relations Board in 2018 for anti-union activities, and Tesla has also faced exclusion from other automakers.
As tensions escalated, the Biden administration intentionally excluded Tesla from the 'New Energy Vehicle Summit' held in August 2021, which surprised Musk. After the two parties 'tore their faces,' the U.S. Departments of Transportation, Justice, Interior, and other market regulatory agencies took turns launching a series of reviews of Musk's companies and issued multiple hefty fines.
