1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

The situation with Elon Musk's growing influence and contracts with the Pentagon raises serious concerns about conflicts of interest and government corruption. It is unacceptable for Musk to leverage his billionaire status and cozy relationship with the administration to restructure government agencies in ways that directly enrich himself and his companies like SpaceX, while vital programs and services are being gutted. Musk stands to gain billions more from bloated military spending and boondoggle projects that serve no legitimate security need. At the same time, qualified government employees are being fired en masse, threatening institutional knowledge and expertise we rely on for everything from pandemic response to regulatory oversight. This eclipse of public sector capability to private interests is extremely troubling. There needs to be a full investigation into Musk's dealings with the administration and any ethics violations or illegal conduct. Those found culpable must face consequences. We cannot allow the militarization of society and corporate capture of government to proceed unchecked. Public servants must be reinstated, and spending returned to funding core services that benefit all Americans rather than further enriching billionaires.