Democratic senator calls for ethical investigation into Starlink’s recent trade deal
Elon Musk’s satellite Internet constellation (Starlink) runs through SpaceX, attracting the attention of lawmakers. Democratic senators this week called for an investigation into whether the Trump administration is using trade talks to benefit Musk.
A group of Democratic senators wrote: “Musk may be leveraging his official role and approaching his personal and financial interests, which is the official role of the U.S. government, even if it is expensive for U.S. consumers and national foreign policy, in a letter from Jamieson Greer, the U.S. Government Ethics Office, including Pam Bondi and Jamieson Greer, acting director of the U.S. Government Ethics Office – may be leveraging his official role and approaching the president’s leverage.”
The letter comes shortly after Musk accompanied Trump on his first overseas trip to Saudi Arabia’s second term and announced Starlink’s approval in Saudi Arabia, while the White House shared its latest defense and trade agreement. Senators, including Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Mark Warner (D-va.) and Jeanne Shaheen (DN.H.), noted that Starlink’s goal is to acquire a “positive goal” of one million new clients each year. However, Starlink “works to ensure agreements operate in certain emerging markets”, and growth last year seemed slow. But then things changed.
“Since President Trump took office, Musk has become Trump’s top adviser, and Starlink has seen a large number of new countries that allow the company to enter its markets.” For example, Lesotho granted Musk its first-ever license to satellite Internet service shortly after Trump triggered the country with high tariffs. The senators also highlighted recent deals with other countries, “seeking probation for unpredictable tariff threats from the Trump administration,” including India, Vietnam and Bangladesh.
The letter specifically mentions two articles from The Washington Post. First, an editorial detail, a Bangladeshi official met with Musk at the White House in February after the trade meeting. Musk was there to suggest that the country “will not be able to obtain favorable trade clauses” without granting Starlink to Bangladesh. The post then detailed how it obtained internal documents that showed that officials “urged countries to clear barriers for U.S. satellite companies, often mentioning Starlink by name.” Although nothing suggests that the Trump administration “definitely demands”[ing] The Postal Report said the State Council told officials to push for regulatory approval.
“Impressing foreign governments to adopt a star-stripe link in exchange for tariff relief appears to be a corruption textbook case,” the senator said. He also asked for an investigation into whether officials were “pursuing Quid-Pro-Quo Quo-Quo exchange Starlink to gain access to the scope of tariffs for violations of federal Etnik law.”
Additionally, the Senator wrote that the State Department’s involvement raised other questions, including “whether these officials may subvert the public’s interests in the negotiation of a new tariff agreement to support Musk’s personal financial interests – and whether they have been directed by them. [Musk] or [Trump] Do this. “The Senator asked the State Council Inspector General to investigate the matter.
