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Is Elon Musk not fulfilling the legal requirements?
Ethics and legal experts claimed that it has been almost three weeks since his designation as a special government employee and Musk has not publicly disclosed his personal finances or possible conflicts of interest, reported USA Today.Under federal law, high-level government officials are mandated to complete these disclosures, which are designed to avoid any conflict of interest and promote transparency. This entails public disclosure of their finances, something that Musk, as well as other appointees, is bound by law to do, as per the report.
According to USA Today, Trump's Cabinet members such as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have submitted their financial forms, but Musk's has not yet shown up on the federal ethics website.
Ethics specialists, such as Washington University's Kathleen Clark, have argued that since he is a "special government employee," Musk's role confers significant authority in the executive branch, and the public has the right to be informed of any possible conflicts, reported USA Today. Clark also claimed “There is no more powerful person in the federal government right now actively exercising power than Elon Musk,” as quoted by USA Today.
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Richard Briffault, a professor at Columbia Law School said "Musk is required to file ethics disclosures publicly, just like Cabinet appointees," as quoted in the report.
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White House's defense
As per USA Today, neither Musk nor the White House has so far confirmed if he filed the necessary form or if Trump granted any waiver to relieve him of the need to do so. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Musk is "filing the proper financial disclosure" and "complying with all applicable federal laws," but no information has been made public.Musk's defense
Musk asserted that any conflicts would be clear to the public. He stated "Am I doing something that is good for my companies or not? It's completely obvious," as quoted by USA Today. Trump echoed Musk's comments and reassured that the administration is keeping close tabs on the situation and wouldn't let Musk do anything that would be good for his businesses, as per the report.FAQs
What is Elon Musk obligated to do as a special government employee?Elon Musk, being a special government employee, is statutorily obliged to file a public financial disclosure form. This disclosure form avoids any conflict of interest by opening up his financial transactions to the public. It is a legal requirement for senior government officials to submit these disclosures according to federal law.
Has Elon Musk filed his financial disclosure form yet?
No, Elon Musk has not filed his mandatory public financial disclosure form, as per USA Today. Even though he was sworn into the position almost three weeks ago, there is no indication of his disclosure on the federal ethics website, which is causing concern among ethics and legal professionals.
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