Some of Musk’s DOGE cuts seem to be to the very US Government agencies and department’s that should be OVER looking at his vast endeavours….But?…. Now have lost staff or disappeared….
And of course Elon rolls with the President, so he gets access to government contact’s others don’t ….
Not a bad way to protect one’s businesses , eh?
As Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk work zealously to slash tens of billions in federal spending by axing thousands of jobs and gutting some government agencies, Musk faces mounting claims he has conflicts of interest and no oversight, legal and ethics experts say.
Trump’s largest campaign donor and the world’s wealthiest man, Musk was tapped by the president to lead the so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge) in a radical and opaque cost-cutting drive that allows him to keep control of SpaceX, Tesla and other huge companies with billions of dollars in federal contracts.
Critics note that Doge, which Musk touted broadly to Trump in August as he was writing seven figure checks to help him win, is gutting agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which has investigated complaints about the car company’s debt collection and loan policies.
Meanwhile, Tesla, SpaceX and other Musk businesses have been investigated or fined by about a dozen regulatory agencies including the CFPB, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Aviation Administration, which suggest how Doge’s work at these agencies and others could benefit Musk financially, say critics.
Both Trump and Musk have downplayed critics’ concerns about conflict of interest issues for the Doge leader, with Musk simply asserting if there’s a conflict: “I’ll recuse myself.”
For his part, Trump has moved broadly to rein in independent oversight by firing key ethics and corruption watchdogs, including the head of the office of government ethics (OGE), and at least 18 agency watchdogs known as inspectors general who have long monitored waste, fraud and abuse in spending.
Legal experts express alarm about Musk’s conflicts and lack of oversight.
“The Office of Government Ethics is needed to enforce compliance, but Trump abruptly fired the office’s director,” said Kedric Payne, the senior director of ethics at the nonpartisan Campaign legal Center. “The OGE needs a director committed to the agency’s mission to help restore public confidence that Doge is not involved in corrupt activities to benefit Musk.”….
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