DOGE could help Musk firms avoid $2.3B in government penalties, Democrats say
Elon Musk’s companies could avoid over $2.3 billion in potential fines and other liabilities thanks to Musk’s unusual government position as the head of DOGE, said a memo yesterday from the Democratic staff of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. The estimate is said to include potential liability from federal investigations, litigation, and other regulatory actions.
“Since his appointment, Mr. Musk has taken a chainsaw to the federal government with no apparent regard for the law or for the people who depend on the programs and agencies he so blithely destroys… Mr. Musk’s position may allow him to evade oversight, derail investigations, and make litigation disappear whenever he so chooses—on his terms and at his command,” the 44-page memo said.
The subcommittee’s investigation found that as of January 20, “Musk and his companies were subject to at least 65 actual or potential actions by 11 different federal agencies.” The memo said the subcommittee “was able to estimate potential financial liabilities for 40 of the 65 actions by eight federal agencies,” resulting in the $2.37 billion total.
