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February 10, 2025

Committee Leaders Stress to DOE the Threat of Elon Musk, Demand Answers on DOGE Access to Classified and Proprietary Data

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Ranking Members Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Deborah Ross (NC-2) of the Subcommittee on Energy, and Emilia Sykes (OH-13) of the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight sent a letter to the Department of Energy (DOE) demanding answers on the safety and status of sensitive and proprietary data possessed by the department. 

“We have observed, with great alarm, the shocking disregard for data privacy and security protocols exhibited by personnel associated with the so-called ‘Department of Government Efficiency,’ or DOGE,” the Ranking Members said in the letter. “The executive order that created DOGE explicitly limited its access to ‘all unclassified agency records,’ and only ‘to the maximum extent consistent with law.’ Recent press reports, however, described a confrontation between DOGE personnel and security officials at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), during which DOGE employees without proper security clearances sought to gain access to secure systems containing classified information.”

The Ranking Members continue, noting Elon Musk’s many conflicts-of-interest as both the CEO of Tesla and the leader of DOGE and its government hackers:

“This is an appalling situation. The recklessness and contempt with which DOGE personnel are rampaging through the federal government threatens a wide range of security interests, privacy controls, and government services. Their egregious and seemingly unlawful acts compromise our national security and put Americans at risk. … Moreover, the risk to DOE is heightened due to the enormous conflicts-of-interest that the leader of DOGE, Elon Musk, has with DOE. Mr. Musk, apparently serving as a ‘special government employee,’ is personally directing DOGE’s activities. He is also the CEO of Tesla, one of the world’s largest electric vehicle and clean energy companies.”

Ms. Lofgren, Ms. Ross, and Ms. Sykes explicitly relay their immediate concern about classified or proprietary data getting into the hands of DOGE hackers and the risk it poses for future DOE projects:

“Our immediate concern is to evaluate the danger posed by any DOGE access to DOE’s secure systems, including classified data managed or accessed by the agency, and to ensure that any access to sensitive and proprietary information granted to DOGE does not promote the personal interests of Elon Musk. DOE and its national laboratories use classified information in support of numerous department functions. Any breach of protocol surrounding the preservation or integrity of secure systems could have grave consequences for the department and the country. Furthermore, DOE’s work in recent years promoting clean energy technologies and next generation vehicles directly intersect with Tesla’s corporate interests. … The possibility that such proprietary data could be obtained by the CEO of Tesla without regard to DOE’s official safeguards for the protection of non-public information risks compromising the department’s ability to collaborate with the private sector on a broad range of critical issues in the future.”

The questions the Ranking Members demand answers for are below:

  • Has any individual employed by, affiliated with, or acting on behalf of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), accessed or attempted to access secure, classified, or proprietary data, information, or systems within DOE? If so, please identify the individuals and their stated purpose for doing so.
  • Has any individual employed by, affiliated with, or acting on behalf of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), accessed or attempted to access data or systems within DOE that contain Personally Identifiable Information (PII)? If so, please identify the individuals and their stated purpose for doing so.
  • Has any individual employed by, affiliated with, or acting on behalf of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), communicated with any DOE employees or officials in an attempt to secure DOGE access to secure, classified, or proprietary data, information, or systems maintained or overseen by DOE? If so, please identify the individuals and their stated purpose for doing so. 
  • If any individual employed by, affiliated with, or acting on behalf of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) attempts to access secure, classified, or proprietary data, information, or systems within DOE, will you pledge to protect such data, information, or systems from any and all access that would violate any and all DOE policies and procedures, federal laws and regulations, and official protocols? Furthermore, will you pledge to immediately notify the Committee if any such incidents occur?

Read the letter here.