House Democrats are drawing up plans to investigate Elon Musk if they win control of the chamber next month, with multiple committees eyeing targets ranging from his tenure atop the Department of Government Efficiency to his possible role in throttling Ukraine’s Starlink access.
The world’s richest man has poured $276 million and counting into Republican committees and candidates this cycle, and Politico reported the tech mogul has become a central target for several would-be committee chairs and scores of rank-and-file Democrats.
“I think DOGE was the original sin,” a Democratic member of the House Oversight Committee told Politico, speaking anonymously. “A third of the committee is lawyers and we see the lawlessness, the intentional violations of the law.”
“I certainly hope that Elon Musk and DOGE get brought in,” the lawmaker added. “No one should be above the law.”
Democrats see several fronts for investigation:
The newest flashpoint is Starlink, after disruptions to the satellite service have hampered the Ukrainian military as the White House presses Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy toward a peace deal with Russia.
“What happens when one guy gets a giant contract from the government and then uses it to do something that shuts down communication in a war that has been extremely important to the United States to support Ukraine?” asked Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), the top Democrat on the Science Committee, said Musk “helped orchestrate the systematic destruction of government programs and services.” She added, “The sheer number of conflicts of interest are astounding.”
Rep. Greg Meeks (D-NY), the top Democrat on Foreign Affairs, called for “a full accounting of the damage Mr. Musk and DOGE caused.” He said the dismantling of USAID “saved no taxpayer money, balanced no budget, and made America no safer.”
Democrats on the Homeland Security Committee have already demanded that Musk testify under oath about a GAO report finding that DOGE overstated its savings, and Ways and Means Democrats have called for a probe into alleged DOGE-related data theft from Social Security.
“Bring it all on," said Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), who serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said Musk’s political spending is exactly why he belongs on the list.
“Elon Musk is on that list because it takes two to tango,” he said.
Musk’s representatives did not respond to Politico’s requests for comment.