1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

HELL NO to MUSK on Defense Task Force Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has inappropriately appointed Elon Musk to co-lead "Project Meridian," the Pentagon’s new 120-day task force on the future of warfare. This appointment represents an unacceptable conflict of interest that fundamentally conflicts with ethical governance in our military leadership. As CEO of SpaceX, Elon Musk oversees a company that holds billions of dollars in active Defense Department and federal contracts. Granting a major defense contractor official authority to shape future military strategy, budget priorities, and battlefield technology requirements creates a direct pathway for self-dealing and government corruption. Appointing corporate insiders to direct policy on next-generation weapons systems guarantees that private commercial profits—rather than national security interests—will drive defense planning. Our government must maintain strict separation between private commercial entities and federal defense oversight. Allowing multi-billionaires with massive defense holdings to write the rules for future warfare jeopardizes institutional integrity and violates basic ethical standards. I urge you to intervene immediately, demand the removal of Elon Musk from Project Meridian, and enforce strict conflict-of-interest prohibitions across all Department of Defense advisory committees.