Washington, D.C. – As Donald Trump took time out of his day yesterday to host a Tesla showroom on the White House lawn, complete with a full sales pitch, House Republicans passed a government funding bill that would give the Federal Aviation Administration a $4 billion check to direct contracts to Elon Musk companies like StarLink, where his employees have burrowed into FAA operations.
StarLink continues to expand its reach across the federal government and Musk’s minions have already made clear to career FAA staff that if they push back against Musk’s hostile takeover, they risk losing their jobs.
See below for coverage of Musk’s blatant moves to put personal profit over the safety of the American people:
Bloomberg: How Elon Musk Muscled His Way Into the FAA
“Two weeks ago, SpaceX engineer Ted Malaska showed up at the Federal Aviation Administration’s headquarters in Washington to deliver what he described as a directive from his boss Elon Musk: The agency will immediately start work on a program to deploy thousands of the company’s Starlink satellite terminals to support the national airspace system.
“Malaska told those in attendance that the employees had up to 18 months to get the new program up and running, an unsettling timeline for aviation safety employees accustomed to a more deliberate pace. Anyone who impeded progress, Malaska said, would be reported to Musk and risked losing their jobs, according to two people familiar with the matter, who were not authorized to speak publicly.”
NBC News: Elon Musk’s Starlink Has A Growing Footprint In The Federal Government
“Starlink, the satellite internet service controlled by billionaire Elon Musk and his rocket company SpaceX, is expanding its footprint in the federal government weeks after the billionaire began slashing the federal workforce and agency budgets under President Donald Trump’s direction.
“Multiple federal agencies are exploring the idea of adopting SpaceX’s Starlink for internet access — and at least one agency, the General Services Administration (GSA), has done so at the request of Musk’s staff, according to someone who worked at the GSA last month and is familiar with its network operations — despite a vow by Musk and Trump to slash the overall federal budget.
“Starlink’s expansion is sparking outcry among congressional Democrats because of Musk’s dual positions: He is the founder and CEO of SpaceX, which owns Starlink, and a senior adviser to Trump with an expansive portfolio across the government. As a shareholder in SpaceX, he could gain financially if Starlink is granted additional business.”
Washington Post: SpaceX Confirms Starlink Work at FAA But Denies Bid to Replace Verizon
“The new details of SpaceX’s work at the FAA comes after reports surfaced last week that Starlink terminals were being installed at FAA facilities. The reports raised concerns among FAA employees and ethics experts that Musk was using his close relationship with President Donald Trump and his role as head of the U.S. DOGE Service to benefit his companies.
“The Washington Post reported last month that the FAA was close to canceling its 15-year, $2.4 billion agreement with Verizon to upgrade the system in favor of Starlink, citing people who had been briefed on the plan. Elements of the deliberations had previously been reported by the Associated Press and Bloomberg News.
“Last month, a team of SpaceX employees visited several FAA facilities as part of the administration’s efforts to overhaul the agency’s aging technology. Three senior engineers at SpaceX received special waivers last month from the Department of Transportation’s ethics office that allowed them to remain at Musk’s company while serving as special government employees embedded at the FAA. Two of the waivers lasted just four days, while the third, for Ted Malaska, was extended.”