On Wednesday, Senator Jeanne Shaheen called on President Donald Trump to mandate that billionaire Elon Musk and special government employees involved in his DOGE initiative must certify that they will not use any non-public government information for personal gain prior to exiting their governmental positions.
In a formal letter to Trump, Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire, highlighted Musk’s unprecedented access to sensitive government data across various federal agencies, raising concerns about the implications of such access.
The details revealed in the letter included claims that personnel from DOGE, reportedly staffed by individuals with backgrounds from Musk’s companies, have gained access to data from numerous government entities, such as the Social Security Administration and the Treasury Department.
This correspondence was first highlighted by NBC News.
Musk’s leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency has seen aggressive cuts to federal agencies, many of which manage regulatory oversight relevant to his business interests.
In her letter, Shaheen expressed concerns regarding special government employees returning to the private sector with access to non-public information, which she termed as potentially giving their personal ventures an unfair advantage.
The letter also referenced the concerns of Steve Bannon, a former top advisor to Trump, who echoed Shaheen’s sentiments. Bannon was reported saying he desires assurances that no government data is being mishandled, advising that the approach should be one of “trust, but verify.”
A senior official from the White House dismissed the senator’s letter as “pointless,” stating that special government employees must already follow ethics rules related to the misuse of government resources and information.
Musk, recognized as the world’s richest individual, was a significant financial supporter during Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. He leads multiple enterprises, including electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla and aerospace firm SpaceX, which features Starlink, a satellite-based internet service.
His latest project, xAI, is focused on developing advanced artificial intelligence tools, including the AI chatbot Grok, which requires extensive data for training purposes. xAI recently integrated with X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
The term of the special government employees at DOGE, including Musk, is nearing its end, raising concerns about the sensitive information accessed during their tenure. While some staff may transition into longer-term government roles, others might shift to the private sector.
Concerns surrounding data protection have intensified, particularly as X faces scrutiny from Canada’s privacy authorities regarding allegations of utilizing user data to train Grok without consent.
Musk has claimed that DOGE has resulted in fiscal savings for the federal government. However, analyses, including one from the New York Times, suggest that the asserted benefits have been overstated.
The Partnership for Public Service has projected that DOGE could cost taxpayers $135 billion this fiscal year, factoring in expenses related to job terminations and subsequent rehiring of essential personnel.
During a recent interview with Finance Newso, Musk claimed that the DOGE initiative is on track to decrease government spending by $160 billion between 2025 and 2026, roughly “16% of the path towards a trillion in five months.” Initially, the DOGE team aimed to reduce the federal budget by $2 trillion but later adjusted the goal to $1 trillion.
