Elon Musk, SpaceX face federal reviews over security: ReportElon Musk, SpaceX face federal reviews over security: Report

Elon Musk news: Elon Musk and SpaceX are under review by the US government for breaking federal reporting rules that protect state secrets, according to the New York Times. Importantly, some of those failures were related to Musk’s appearances before foreign leaders.

Many of the employees at the rocket manufacturer that sends Starship into space out of South Texas have some security clearance since the company is a defence contractor. According to the Times, until around 2018, Musk held a mid-level security concerns before applying for a higher status, "top secret." Though the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency offers the highest level of clearance, other government agencies grant separate, even more privileged levels.

But higher clearance might not be on Musk’s agenda. He was advised not to apply for more clearance by SpaceX lawyers, who warned Monday that he could face denial or losing his current "top secret" clearance, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Those habits have already given the authorities cause for concern. The Times claims the investigation into SpaceX investigation practices prompted three federal investigations, one by the Office of Inspector General of the Defense Department, one by the Air Force, and the last by the Pentagon’s Office Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security.

Musk hasn’t disclosed any of the details since 2021, though rules require him to be continuously vetted to maintain his current security clearance. Musk and SpaceX, for instance, have yet to say a few words about where he has been, where he’s met foreign leaders. Just last month, one of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees called for a probe into whether Musk had inappropriate contact with certain politicians, such as Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. ‘Nine of our allies have warned Musk that he might divulge classified information to others,’ the Times reports.