Senate Democrats want investigation into whether Trump administration helping Musk make Starlink deals
Source: ABC News
May 14, 2025, 12:20 PM
As President Donald Trump continues his first foreign trip through the Middle East, a group of Senate Democrats are calling for an investigation into whether the Trump administration is clearing hurdles for Starlink, a company led by White House senior adviser Elon Musk, to strike foreign deals.
In a letter sent Wednesday to Attorney General Pam Bondi, acting Director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics Jamieson Greer, acting Inspector General of the State Department Arne Baker and White House ethics official Scott Gast, the senators called for an investigation into whether the administration is "intervening" to benefit Starlink as it "negotiates tariff agreements and other matters with foreign governments."
Senate Banking Committee ranking member Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., and Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., are leading the effort, raising concerns about recent reporting from the Washington Post that suggests the State Department might be pushing other countries to clear barriers for Musk's satellite company.
"These reports indicate that Mr. Musk may be using his official role and his proximity to the President as leverage for his own personal financial benefit --- even if it comes at the expense of American consumers and the nation's foreign policy interests," the senators wrote. "These actions raise questions about whether Mr. Musk or other administration officials may be violating ethics or other laws."
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/senate-democrats-investigation-trump-administration-helping-musk-make/story?id=121795283
Link to LETTER (PDF viewer) - Warren, Lawmakers Letter to Ethics Investigators on Starlink and Trade Negotiations
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