(Jamie Kelter Davis/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
A group of Democratic senators is calling out SpaceX CEO Elon Musk for allegedly “exploiting” his influence in the Trump administration to pressure foreign governments into greenlighting Starlink access in their countries.
“Public servants must serve Americans, not their own bank accounts,” 13 senators, led by Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) wrote in a five-page letter to President Trump. It calls on the White House to investigate Musk over concerns he misused his position as a special government employee to “advance his personal business interests abroad.”
It comes after a Washington Post column brought up how a growing number of countries, including Vietnam, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India, granted quick access to Starlink. The column claims Musk discussed receiving regulatory clearance to operate Starlink in Bangladesh during a meeting with an envoy who came to the White House in February to talk trade.
“The apparent implication, though it wasn’t stated outright, was that one of the world’s largest textile exporters would not be able to get favorable trade terms from the United States if Starlink wasn’t allowed entry into the Bangladeshi market,” the Post says.
Sen. Warner is now weighing in, saying: “These allegations, if true, would constitute a serious violation of federal ethics laws and a profound breach of public trust.” The letter also claims Musk might be leveraging his influence to push Starlink in trade talks with India and South Africa.
“We condemn in the strongest terms allowing Musk any influence on US trade posture towards South Africa to coerce that country to cater to Musk’s personal interests,” the letter adds.
Despite the concerns, the call for an investigation appears to be more of a symbolic gesture since it’s doubtful Trump would ever launch a probe into Musk, a close ally. Others, such as Musk supporter FCC Chair Brendan Carr, have been urging European allies to adopt Starlink over Chinese satellite technologies, which the State Department has echoed. Meanwhile, the Commerce Department is considering a change to open more funding from a $42.5 billion federal program to Starlink.
SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. In the meantime, the company’s Starlink service is already available in over 120 markets and has attracted over 5 million users.