(Ken Silva, Headline USA) The New York Times reported Tuesday that Twitter and SpaceX owner Elon Musk is under three federal investigations related to alleged violation of security clearance regulations.
Citing eight anonymous officials with varying degrees of knowledge about the situation, the Times reported that the Defense Department’s Office of Inspector General opened a review into the matter this year. Last month, the Air Force and the Pentagon’s Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security separately initiated reviews, the newspaper added.
Among the complaints against Musk is that he doesn’t provide the government with some details of his meetings and travel plans.
“Yet at least as of 2021, Mr. Musk and his team began not providing some details of his meetings and travel plans,” the Times reported. “His private security employees who travel with him report some of his activities to SpaceX, which in turn reports the information to the government. But often, not all the details of each trip are divulged—such as what was discussed in meetings—while some appointments are not mentioned at all.”
He also reportedly didn’t disclose to the DoD when he used ketamine, an anesthetic with psychedelic properties that he tweeted about last year.
I have serious concerns about SSRIs, as they tend to zombify people.
Occasional use of Ketamine is a much better option, in my opinion. I have a prescription for when my brain chemistry sometimes goes super negative.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 5, 2023
Nine countries have raised concerns about Musk, according to the Times.
“In meetings about Starlink between Israeli military intelligence officers and U.S. defense officials in early 2023, the Israeli Ministry of Defense called Mr. Musk ‘a wild card,’ two people with knowledge of the conversations said,” the Times reported.
“Israeli officials were concerned that he could pass sensitive data about Israel to others, though they eventually allowed Starlink into the country this year.”
Israel’s Ministry of Defense did not respond to a request for comment. Musk also did not return requests for comment. The Times further reported that a Defense Department spokesman declined to comment, while a spokesman for the department’s Office of Inspector General, which is a quasi-independent watchdog arm, said the office could “neither confirm nor deny the existence of an ongoing investigation.”
The Times noted that no federal agency has actually accused Musk of disclosing classified material, and that Donald Trump will have constitutional authority to grant a security clearance to anyone—even if others in the government object.
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.
