U.S. Representative Grace Meng has raised concerns over Elon Musk’s potential influence at NASA.
NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, is the U.S. government agency responsible for the nation’s civilian space program and aeronautics research.
Meng has penned a letter to acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro calling for Elon Musk, in his role as a key figure at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and the department itself to have their access to NASA revoked.
Meng said she penned the letter to Petro after learning that Musk and DOGE officials would be given unrestricted access to NASA’s personnel and contracting files. Meng also paid a visit to NASA this week to raise concerns about Musk’s access to the agency, stating that it had come to her attention that the DOGE team would be granted access to NASA.
She wrote in the letter to Petro that it would represent a “major conflict of interest” if Musk, who currently serves as CEO of SpaceX, which is NASA’s largest private contractor, received access to information that could potentially benefit the company at the expense of the American taxpayer and SpaceX’s competitors. Meng pointed to the fact that SpaceX received $2.3 billion from NASA in fiscal year 2023 alone.
Musk denied that his extensive business dealings with the Government amounted to a conflict of interest during a press conference in the Oval Office alongside President Donald Trump on Tuesday. He also contended that Trump’s victory in last November’s election gave him license to carry out government reform.
“The people voted for major government reform, and that’s what the people are going to get,” Musk told reporters Tuesday. “That’s what democracy is all about.”
Meng, who serves as Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS), which oversees NASA, noted in the letter that Musk and DOGE have received “unfettered” access to several government bodies since Trump took office on Jan. 20, adding that providing similar access to NASA would represent a significant conflict of interest while also creating the potential for litigation and demonstrations.
Elon Musk’s DOGE team gained access to NASA today. Musk is the CEO of SpaceX, which is NASA’s largest private contractor.
This is a MAJOR conflict of interest.
Let’s talk about it👇 pic.twitter.com/KL1LeY2N6W
— Grace Meng (@RepGraceMeng) February 11, 2025
“Providing such access to Mr. Musk at NASA would create a blatant, multi-billion-dollar conflict of interest—exactly the kind of coziness between government and industry and corruption that my constituents fear happens in Washington,” Meng said in the letter to Petro.
“Moreover, providing special access to the owner of SpaceX would likely open NASA to expensive litigation, protests from others participating in competitive grants, or other actions that would force NASA to take finances and resources away from key missions and research.”
Meng added that NASA, which receives more than $20 billion in federal funding every year, should at least set “clear and public ground rules. ”
“I strongly urge you to revoke any access to NASA headquarters for Mr. Musk and his staff,” Meng continued.
“At the very least, I demand that your agency set clear and public ground rules so that you do not expose internal, deliberative, or proprietary information. I am sure we can agree that American taxpayers expect and deserve such protection.”
Musk’s DOGE team recently caused controversy when it gained access to the Treasury Department’s payment and data system. A federal judge temporarily restricted DOGE from accessing Treasury data Saturday, stating that the move could cause “irreparable harm”.
