US senator introduces conflict of interest bill aimed at Elon Musk
Source: The Guardian
Wed 9 Apr 2025 12.44 EDT
Last modified on Wed 9 Apr 2025 12.48 EDT
A Democratic senator has introduced a bill that would prohibit awarding government contracts and grants to companies owned by special government employees, taking aim at Elon Musk, the SpaceX and Tesla CEO. The bill, authored by Jeanne Shaheen, the longtime Democratic New Hampshire senator, is an attempt to prevent conflicts of interest and was crafted in response to Musk’s role in the White House, where Donald Trump has designated him a special government employee, according to a Senate aide.
Special government employees, which also include many members of Musk’s so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge), serve a limit of 130 days and are exempt from some financial disclosure rules. “Those who step up to serve our country should do so because they want to contribute to the betterment of our nation – not because they stand to benefit from their public service at the expense of taxpayers,” Shaheen told the Guardian.
Shaheen’s bill would specifically block an executive agency from awarding a “contract, grant, or cooperative agreement” to any company in which the beneficial owner was a special government employee with more than 5% ownership stake. Senate Republicans, who hold the chamber’s majority, have shown little interest in backing any attempts to rein in Musk’s power or compel more transparency into his actions, however, while Trump has repeatedly defended Musk against criticism.
Democrats and ethics watchdog groups have frequently objected to Musk’s numerous conflicts as he serves as the de facto head of Doge and a senior adviser to the president. Musk’s companies, most notably SpaceX and the satellite communications service Starlink, have extensive and expanding ties with government agencies as well as contracts worth billions of dollars.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/09/musk-doge-conflict-of-interest-bill-senate
This seems rather "forward" for her. She has tended to operate "in the background". Her seat is up in 2026 and I saw something yesterday where Sununu (the younger) decided against running for her seat in NH.
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But it says the all-too-obvious that I knew before I clicked it would not be an "R". Keep it up, MAGATs in Congress. People WILL remember that which you chose to ignore. 