Blog de Dunlap: Last time I checked

Danielle,

Last time I checked, nobody voted for Elon Musk to run the federal government.

But this week, he seemed to think that was his job. And Donald Trump appeared to agree with him.

You see, House Republicans negotiated with Democrats in Congress a plan to keep the government open. But then Musk started tweeting about how it was a bad deal. Then Trump trailed along later to say he was on the same page. And House Republicans fell in line.

In their next plan, they got rid of proposed funding for research on pediatric cancer, early detection of cervical cancer and breast cancer, and children with Down Syndrome. All while the GOP gets ready to hand more tax breaks to billionaires and giant corporations in the new year.

Because of this last-minute scrambling, they brought the federal government to the brink of a shutdown in the middle of the holiday season.

And they made it clear that Musk is wielding a tremendous amount of unearned power in Washington.

As he continues whispering in Donald Trump's ear as the "unofficial co-president" (that's how the Washington Post put it), the American people have a right to know whether his advice would help the whole country or just line his own pockets.

Because let's remember: Musk is still CEO of several companies with significant interests before the federal government.

Tesla has gotten nearly $42 million in government contracts to provide electric vehicles and services to the government.
SpaceX has received nearly $20 billion in government contracts.
And his companies have been the subject of at least 20 recent federal investigations or reviews.

So as Musk attends to his duties co-running the "Department of Government Efficiency," is he thinking through ways to best serve the American people — or trying to make his companies richer and end investigations into his work?

These are glaring conflicts of interest.

I've called on the Trump transition team to make Musk follow the same ethics standards they've set for other officials. Add your name if you agree that the same rules ought to apply to the richest man in the world as he appears to steer government policy.

I will keep working to hold the incoming Trump administration accountable and hold the line against a far-right agenda that would reward the rich and powerful.

I know you're in this fight too — and I'm grateful.

Thanks for being a part of this,

Elizabeth