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By Jess Thomson
Science Reporter
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Elon Musk and SpaceX are facing a series of federal reviews investigating if they followed federal reporting rules.
Three investigations will look into whether Musk and SpaceX complied with rules regarding the protection of state secrets and national security, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.
This comes after Musk failed to provide some details of his meetings with foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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The reviews were opened by the Defense Department's Office of Inspector General, the Air Force and the Pentagon's Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, the NYT reported, citing eight people with close knowledge of SpaceX and Musk.
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Democratic senators Jeanne Shaheen and Jack Reed wrote in a letter to Defense Department Inspector General Robert Storch and Attorney General Merrick Garland last month that Musk should be investigated by the Pentagon regarding national security following reports that he had spoken on the phone with Putin and other Russian officials.
And the Wall Street Journal reported last year that Musk has been in regular contact with Putin for several years, with the Russian leader even asking Musk to activate SpaceX's Starlink satellites over over Taiwan for Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Was SpaceX founded by Elon Musk?
Elon Musk is the CEO of both SpaceX and the electric vehicle company Tesla. SpaceX was founded by Elon Musk in 2001, though he worked with a small group of engineers and co-founders, including Tom Mueller, who played a crucial role in the development of SpaceX's rocket engines.
Federal reporting rules can include obligations such as disclosure of lobbying or public relations work for foreign entities, as well as transactions involving foreign parties. These rules are typically designed to ensure that sensitive activities or relationships that could affect national security are properly reported.
The reviews are likely focused on whether Musk and SpaceX's actions or omissions could have compromised or posed risks to U.S. national security. This could involve issues like foreign influence, sensitive technologies, export controls, or classified information.
According to the NYT, Musk has also been denied a high-level security access by the Air Force, due to potential security risks. Defense officials have also said that many nations, including Israel, have become concerned that Musk may share sensitive data with other nations.
Newsweek has contacted Elon Musk and SpaceX for comment.
This isn't the first time that Musk has been questioned by the U.S. government regarding his security practices. In 2018, after Musk appeared to smoke cannabis on Joe Rogan's podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, the Pentagon initiated a security clearance review.
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