Elon Musk and SpaceX face at least three federal reviews into whether they complied with federal reporting rules intended to protect national security, the New York Times reported Tuesday.
This isn’t the first time the Pentagon has questioned the SpaceX founder’s security practices.
A 2018 incident in which Musk, who is also CEO of Tesla, smoked marijuana on a live web show with American comedian Joe Rogan also prompted a security clearance review by the Pentagon.
Such reviews typically occur after incidents of potential violations come to light, Pentagon officials said.
The New York Times said the new reviews were launched by the Air Force, the Defense Department inspector general and the undersecretary of defense for intelligence and security. It cited eight people with knowledge of Rocket Company and internal documents.
“Elon Musk and his rocket company, SpaceX, have repeatedly failed to comply with federal reporting protocols intended to protect state secrets by not providing certain details of his meetings with foreign leaders,” the newspaper report said.
The Air Force and the undersecretaries of defense for intelligence and security referred questions to the Defense Department’s Office of the Inspector General. That office, in turn, said that as a matter of policy, it “can neither confirm nor deny the existence of an ongoing investigation.” It added: “This is to protect the privacy of those involved and to protect the integrity of the investigative process.”
SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwen Shotwell declined to comment on the security clearance issues or the investigations when asked by a Reuters reporter while leaving an event in Washington.
Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The New York Times said the Air Force recently cited potential security risks in denying high-level security access to Musk, and allies, including Israel, have flagged concerns that the billionaire CEO could share sensitive data.
Last month, two Democratic US senators, Jeanne Shaheen and Jack Reed, wrote in a letter that reports that Musk had made several calls with Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, should be investigated by the Pentagon and law enforcement agencies on national security grounds. .
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall responded to Shaheen last week saying he shared those concerns but could not comment on an individual’s security clearance status.
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