Aaron Scherb
No American is above the law. When congressional Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee tried to subpoena Elon Musk earlier this year, Republicans blocked the effort. What are they trying to hide from us?
Elon Musk is the wealthiest individual in the world. The Department of Government Efficiency and Musk are taking drastic, and in some cases, likely unconstitutional and illegal actions that significantly harm millions of Americans.
Over the last two decades, Musk has helped build his personal fortune with tens of billions of dollars from our taxes. Since 2008, Musk and his companies have received more than $38 billion in contracts, subsidies, loans and tax credits from the U.S. government.
No one voted for Musk. Because he was never confirmed by the Senate, he never had to testify at an open hearing and face scrutiny for his actions and DOGE’s activities. So, why are congressional Republicans afraid of him answering questions to provide the truth to all Americans?
Because Musk has never had to answer questions about DOGE and his many conflicts of interest, we urge Congress to subpoena him to testify under oath to answer these questions:
— How much has your net worth increased or decreased since you started working at DOGE as a “special government employee”?
— How long is your contract as a “special government employee”?
— How much money have your companies collectively made or lost since you began working in the Trump administration on January 20, 2025?
— Which of your companies have gotten contracts from the Trump administration since you started working as a “special government employee”? How much are those contracts collectively worth?
— Has DOGE ended or attempted to end any contracts that the federal government has with your companies? What has been your involvement in those decision-making processes?
— What steps are you taking, and what processes have you implemented to eliminate real and perceived conflicts of interest in your decision-making at DOGE and within the administration?
— What steps have you taken, and what systems have you created to ensure that all DOGE employees comply with the Ethics in Government Act, the Office of Government Ethics regulations, and all other ethics and conflicts-of-interest laws and regulations?
— You have repeatedly said that DOGE would be transparent. How many FOIA requests has it received? How many requests has it fulfilled, and how many FOIA requests are still pending?
— Will you commit to fully complying with all aspects of the law and all court decisions, even if you disagree with them?
— Numerous courts have granted temporary restraining orders against the actions of DOGE and, in some cases, ruled that its actions are unconstitutional. How can you guarantee that DOGE will uphold the rule of law and respect those decisions?
These are some of the questions that our elected officials must ask Musk as DOGE and the Trump administration continue to make harmful decisions, mainly in secrecy, that negatively affect millions of us.
Aaron Scherb is the senior director of legislative affairs at Common Cause. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.
