'Too many to enumerate': Watchdogs open probe into Musk's alleged 'conflicts of interest'

Government watchdogs have opened an investigation into the so-called Department of Government Efficiency over what appear to be clear conflicts of interest involving its co-leaders Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.

Donald Trump has tapped the duo to lead the advisory commission to recommend up to $2 trillion in budget cuts, but ethics experts Virginia Canter, Richard Painter and Gabe Lezra published a column on MSNBC saying they would be closely monitoring DOGE for legal and ethical violations.

"The possible conflicts of interest are too many to enumerate," the experts wrote. "The 'de facto monopoly' that Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX has on rocket launches should raise flags at the Federal Trade Commission — an agency that is already in Musk’s crosshairs. Even minor changes in an agency’s enforcement priorities or procurement policies could cost — or make — Musk tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars. And given the sheer array of Musk-owned companies, decisions affecting competitors are almost inevitable. Earlier this month, Ramaswamy said that DOGE is already looking at a Department of Energy loan to one of Tesla’s rivals, Rivian Automotive."

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The watchdogs have already filed Freedom of Information Act requests across the federal government nearly a month before Trump's inauguration because they believe the public should know whether Musk, Ramaswamy or their agents were conducting work on projects that could benefit them personally.

"The mere appearance of conflict in government can quickly undermine the public’s confidence in its government," they wrote. "Absent strong ethics controls and adequate oversight mechanisms, Musk’s participation in regulatory and other executive policy decisions could lead Americans to question whether his recommendations are truly in their interest — or in his financial interest."

Musk's companies already hold billions of dollars in federal contracts, and those companies have been the subject of more than a dozen federal investigations or reviews with various agencies for which he could recommend budget cuts to reduce their ability to enforce existing regulations.

"If DOGE’s work has indeed begun, transparency must begin as well. Its leaders’ and agents’ communications with federal agencies are obviously in the public interest," the experts wrote. "They offer the first glimpse into how Musk and Ramaswamy may use DOGE to attempt to restructure the government — and the extent to which those plans may benefit DOGE’s leaders. Without these records, the public will remain in the dark as Musk and Ramaswamy begin this project, and will therefore not be able to assess whether DOGE will serve the nation — or the interests of a privileged few."