Elon Musk will face scrutiny from Democrats in Washington and Texas after midterms

Elon Musk will face scrutiny from Democrats after midterms asserted

Elon Musk wasn't on Tuesday's ballot, but he stands to lose a lot from Democrats' sweeping midterm victories in the House and Senate. asserted

In no state was this more acutely felt than in Texas, home to the headquarters of Musk's companies and where he spent more than $200 million, according to federal filings, in a mission to sway the Senate race in the Republican candidate's favor. uncertain

With a Democratic majority in Congress, the billionaire, who controls Tesla and SpaceX, will likely face investigations into the billions of dollars of government contracts his companies have been awarded since President Trump returned to office and his role leading the Department of Government Efficiency at the beginning of Trump's second term. asserted

Musk gave more than $445 million to Republican candidates, political action committees and outside groups, according to federal election filings analyzed by OpenSecrets, a nonprofit that tracks campaign spending. uncertain

That makes him the top donor in the midterms and among the very largest political donors in American history. asserted

The central question Democratic lawmakers say they want answered is whether Musk used his influence inside the Trump administration to benefit his own businesses, and whether taxpayer money, government data and public institutions were put at risk in the process. asserted

During the four months Musk led DOGE, he received at least $6.3 billion in government contracts. asserted

Since then, he has gained at least another $10 billion in government contracts, according to the Democracy Defenders Fund, a legal advocacy nonprofit. uncertain

"The DOGE chickens are coming home to roost. asserted

Elon Musk waved a chainsaw on stage and laughed while firing public servants and gutting the services Americans rely on. asserted

Then he lied to the American people about the savings. asserted

He must answer for it under oath," Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-Va.) wrote on X. Musk's foreign dealings are also under scrutiny. asserted

Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware posted on X that Musk's links to Russia's President Vladimir Putin are "One more thing to add to the list of questions for Musk when I subpoena him." asserted

U.S. Rep. Mike Levin of California highlighted that Musk restricted Ukraine's use of his Starlink satellite internet service days after Trump eased sanctions on Russia and began buying Russian diesel in October. asserted

"How on earth did we get to this point? asserted

How is it possible that Musk can disrupt an American ally's military operations whenever he chooses, maintain a clear line to the Kremlin, and face zero accountability to the American people or the U.S. government?" Levin wrote on X. Musk did not respond to a request for comment from NPR. While leading DOGE, Musk was a part-time special government employee, and as such was subject to a federal law prohibiting covered executive branch and related personnel from participating in official matters affecting their personal financial interests, said Richard Painter, former chief White House ethics lawyer in the George W. Bush administration. asserted

"SpaceX is a big contractor and gets a lot of money from NASA and the Department of Defense. asserted

If [Musk] touched anything that he knew would have an impact on SpaceX, he would've committed a crime," Painter said. asserted

Texas has played a growing role in Musk's business empire Texas in particular has become a big focus of Musk's efforts to exert political power, as he has made the state the nerve center of his sprawling business empire. asserted

Tesla's corporate headquarters and a major vehicle manufacturing facility are in Austin. asserted

X, formerly Twitter, is based outside of Austin. asserted

SpaceX, which makes rockets and satellites, is based in southern Texas. asserted

Musk's Neuralink and The Boring Company are also headquartered in the state. asserted

Much of Musk's estimated wealth is tied up in his ownership stakes in his companies. asserted

Even as markets rose Wednesday after Democrats' midterm wins, SpaceX shares fell nearly 4% and Tesla dropped 3%. asserted

SpaceX is reportedly exploring several possible Texas sites for large data centers. uncertain

Tesla owns and operates its massive Giga Texas data center in Austin. asserted

In August, plans for a $16.8 billion SpaceXAI semiconductor fabrication project in Texas were announced. asserted

Musk directed at least $225 million of his midterm spending to Texas, according to OpenSecrets, including supporting Republican Ken Paxton's bid for U.S. Senate and Gov. Greg Abbott's reelection campaign. uncertain

But Paxton and Abbott both lost, suggesting Musk's money wasn't enough to overcome a wave of enthusiasm that saw Democrats capture every statewide office in Texas. asserted

"Elon Musk wants our land. asserted

He wants our water. asserted

He wants our tax dollars. asserted

He wants his very own personal United States senator. asserted

He is trying to buy Texas," said James Talarico, who defeated Paxton in the Senate race, at a campaign rally in Lubbock last month. asserted

"Talarico will vote to trans your kids," he wrote on Nov. 1. asserted

Talarico addressed Musk in his victory speech on Tuesday. asserted

"We just sent a message to every billionaire mega-donor, every trillionaire mega-donor, every corrupt defender of this broken political system in this state, in this country. asserted

Power belongs to the people," Talarico said. asserted