Musk Lands a Lucrative FAA Contract While Saying He's Stopping Government Abuse

Elon Musk holds no specific executive position in the government. Yet Donald Trump gave him the power to direct a small team that is actively, drastically and illegally cutting funding and staff across the government. Is it any surprise that he is using this unaccountable power for the benefit of his own companies?

CNN reports:

The Federal Aviation Administration has agreed to use SpaceX’s Starlink internet system to upgrade the information technology networks it uses to manage U.S. airspace. …

The contract comes while Musk is leading efforts to make deep cuts in federal government spending, including staffing cuts at the FAA, and some critics are raising questions about conflicts of interest over his role overseeing government agencies that are supposed to be regulating his businesses. …

Soon after the fatal crash of a military helicopter and a regional jet on final approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that he had had discussions with Musk and that he was going to help the FAA “remake our airspace” and “do it quickly.”

The FAA already has a contract with Verizon to upgrade its information technology networks. In a post on X Monday, Musk said “The Verizon system is not working and so is putting air travelers at serious risk.”

The abuse of executive power does not have to be concentrated in the person who holds the title of president—nor do its benefits. By overturning safeguards that prevent the misuse of executive power, Trump creates opportunities for his deputies and cronies to further enrich themselves.

The Executive Watch is a project of the Institute for the Study of Modern Authoritarianism, and its flagship publication The UnPopulist, to track in an ongoing way the abuses of the power of the American presidency. It sorts these abuses into five categories: Personal Grift, Political Corruption, Presidential Retribution, Power Consolidation, and Policy Illegality. Click the category of interest to get an overview of all the abuses under it.

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