Senator Elizabeth Warren has asked the Trump transition team to hold Elon Musk to the same ethics standards as other transition members due to his substantial private interests and potential conflicts of interest. Musk has been appointed as the co-chair of the "Department of Government Efficiency," a newly created Trump advisory body, and is not subject to government employee ethics standards.
Warren notes that Musk's role as a close advisor to Trump creates a massive conflict of interest, as his advice may be influenced by his own financial interests rather than the country's needs. The Trump transition team has issued an ethics pledge promising to avoid conflicts of interest, but critics argue that Musk's role undermines this pledge.
Musk's task force aims to overhaul the U.S. government and has proposed regulatory changes that benefit his companies, including Tesla and SpaceX. Critics, including Walter Shaub, the former director of the Office of Government Ethics, have raised concerns that Musk's role could endanger national security and public safety.