Senior senators are calling for a federal investigation into Musk’s ties to Putin

The two top Senate Democrats have called for a federal investigation into Elon Musk’s reported contacts with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his top aides.

The senators urged the Pentagon and the Justice Department to decide whether the talks, which the Kremlin has denied, should force a review of the federal government’s contracts with Musk’s company, SpaceX.

The Wall Street Journal reported last month that the world’s richest man had “numerous, high-level conversations” with Putin since 2022 while communicating with other top Russian officials.

Musk wrote on his X forum on Friday that “he will find out who made these allegations and smell them”.

In another episode, he blasted two Democrats — Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees — as “puppets” and “knuckleheads.” “.

A couple of Democrats sent a a book On Friday, Attorney General Merrick Garland and Defense Department inspector general Robert Storch raised “serious questions about Mr. Musk’s credibility as a government contractor and [security] license holder”.

Donald Trump’s ally currently benefits from billions of dollars in US defense and intelligence contracts, and claims to hold a high-level security clearance.

“Russia’s ambitions in the space domain pose a threat to US national security,” Reed and Shaheen wrote, pointing to reports earlier this year that the US adversary had released a powerful weapon capable of attacking other satellites in low orbit. the rotation of the earth.

The senators noted that, unlike others with high-level security clearances, Musk does not report his contacts with foreign government officials.

They added that the billionaire’s communications with Putin’s deputy, Sergei Kiriyenko, come as the Justice Department found that Kiriyenko and other senior officials were involved in an effort to plant Kremlin propaganda on social media, including Musk’s (formerly) X. Twitter) platform.

“For these reasons, we urge an immediate review to ensure that Mr. Musk’s relationship with multiple Russian officials warrants an investigation and a decision by a senior Department of Defense official as to whether SpaceX should exclude Mr. Musk’s involvement in current or future US Government contracts,” Reed wrote. and Shaheen.

Musk, who supported Trump’s successful re-election bid in 2024 with campaign appearances and millions of dollars in donations, was named by the president-elect earlier this week to lead the new “Department of Government Operations.”

But he has also been involved in the efforts of the incoming president.

Musk joined calls last week with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

The BBC’s American partner, CBS News, reported on Friday that he also recently visited the residence of the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations New York. Washington does not have diplomatic relations with Tehran.