Press Release
December 18, 2024
In new FOIAs, democracy watchdog group requests government records across federal agencies
WASHINGTON – Today, State Democracy Defenders Fund (SDDF) submitted a series of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the federal government seeking information and communications between Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy and their agents with federal agency staff. The requests were sent to 16 federal agencies as part of an inquiry SDDF has launched into the so-called new “Department of Government Efficiency”, or DOGE, and Musk, whose businesses are the recipient of billions of dollars in government contracts and the subject of at least 20 recent federal investigations or reviews.
“This self-styled new department is poised to help restructure the entire federal government, with the potential to upend decades of regulation of everything from vehicle safety to space exploration,” said Ambassador Norman Eisen (ret.), co-founder of State Democracy Defenders Fund. “Musk’s mandate is immense–as are his potential conflicts of interest, which is why we’ve begun our inquiry with these FOIA requests across the federal government.”
The FOIAs were sent to agencies with which Musk has had reported controversies including the Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, National Labor Relations Board, Securities and Exchange Commission, National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, Federal Communications Commission, and the Federal Trade Commission, among others. They were also sent to agencies that appear to contract with Musk’s companies, including NASA, the U.S. Space Force, the Department of Defense, the Air Force, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
In addition, Musk and Ramaswamy plan to serve as outside volunteers and not as government officials or employees. If so, Musk and Ramaswamy may not be subject to the typical government employee financial disclosure and conflict of interest requirements.
“Our inquiry about Musk’s interests before the federal government is part of the transparency needed for DOGE to instill public confidence rather than sow distrust.,” said Richard Painter, a member of State Democracy Defenders Fund’s ethics advisory board.
“Since their work appears to have started, it is of the utmost importance that the essential oversight and transparency starts too,” said Virginia Canter, Chief Anti-Corruption Counsel for State Democracy Defenders Fund. “Absent transparency and adequate oversight mechanisms, Musk’s participation in budgetary, regulatory and other executive policy decisions may lead the public to question his motivations–and, consequently, the government’s integrity.”
The FOIAs were sent on an expedited basis and can be viewed here:
Federal Aviation Administration
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
National Labor Relations Board
Securities and Exchange Commission
National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration
Federal Communications Commission
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
State Democracy Defenders Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to legal advocacy initiatives aimed at safeguarding democratic principles and the rule of law.
Learn more here: https://statedemocracydefenders.org/fund/