'Concerning': NASA head thinks Elon Musk should be investigated after explosive report

Calling reports of ongoing conversations between tech billionaire Elon Musk and Russian President Vladimir Putin “concerning,” the head of NASA on Thursday called for an investigation into the bombshell accounts "if the story is true."

The comments came a day after the Wall Street Journal reported that Musk, a vocal Trump supporter, and Putin had been in regular communication for at least two years. The report also revealed that the world's richest man and the Russian leader discussed issues ranging from “personal topics, business and geopolitical tensions.”

“I don’t know that that story is true. I think it should be investigated,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said Friday at a Semafor conference. “If the story is true that there have been multiple conversations between Elon Musk and the president of Russia then I think that would be concerning, particularly for NASA, for the Department of Defense, for some of the intelligence agencies.”

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White House officials have said they were aware of the Journal story, but a spokesman for the National Security Council, John Kirby, said he was “not in a position to corroborate the veracity of those reports, and we would refer you to Mr. Musk to speak to his private communications,” according to the Journal

The publication notes that Musk’s security clearance gives him access to certain classified information and that he has “deep business ties with U.S. military and intelligence agencies. SpaceX, which operates the Starlink service, works on classified government programs and is also the primary rocket launcher for the Pentagon and NASA.”

“Knowledge of Musk’s Kremlin contacts appears to be a closely held secret in government. Several White House officials said they weren’t aware of them. The topic is highly sensitive, given Musk’s increasing involvement in the Trump campaign and the approaching U.S. presidential election, less than two weeks away,” the Journal reported.

Musk has enthusiastically endorsed Trump and dumped millions of dollars into GOP-aligned campaigns.