Musk is a 'special government employee,' the White House confirms

[Wicked Blue]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — Elon Musk is working for President Donald Trump as a “special government employee,” according to a White House official, solidifying his controversial role in the administration but sidestepping some disclosure rules that are typical of federal workers.

The official, speaking Monday on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters, said that Musk has a government email address and office space in the White House complex.

Musk, the world’s richest man, has been granted broad latitude by Trump to reduce the size of the federal government. On Monday morning, the headquarters of the U.S. Agency for International Development was abruptly shut down. Musk’s team, known as the Department of Government Efficiency, also has received access to sensitive payment systems at the U.S. Treasury Department.

Democrats fear that Musk is consolidating power within the federal government, acting without accountability and potentially against the law.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-donald-trump-doge-21153a742fbad86284369bb173ec343c

[Blues Heron]

1. Drug test him

[mpcamb]

24. And when that's done put him thru a security clearance (which he'd never pass!).

[Lovie777]

2. Musk is a greedy evil man....

Nazi

[Magoo48]

14. Nazi gangster.

[Joinfortmill]

3. He's special alright. Special, drug addled, horse's ass.

[vapor2]

4. WTF?

Then why wasn't he vetted? Why does he not have a security clearance? He's a trump stooge

[OMGWTF]

23. Trump is his stooge.

[orleans]

43. i saw an article yesterday (wapo? nytimes? guardian?) that said musk had ts clearance but not the higher one nt

[bluestarone]

5. Well now, What is he being

Paid?

[Justice matters.]

21. Probably Billions...

Off the records by Putin and Xi, his business partners.

Already cashed in, with promises of more to come on delivery of classified documents and 300+ million personal data?

If there still was a Rule of Law for the well offs and connected, him and his band of engineering gangsters would be rounded up and charged after Grand Jury proceeding ASAP.

Only the rubes must follow the Rule of Law now.

The now lawless and immune POTUS has dictated.

[Prairie Gates]

6. "Democrats fear..." Pretty clear example of AP bias there

The word out from the Trump press shops is to paint Democrats as shocked and fearful. The press goes along with this framing. Notice the subtle difference:

Democrats fear that Musk is consolidating power within the federal government, acting without accountability and potentially against the law.

Democrats suspect that Musk is consolidating power within the federal government, acting without accountability and potentially against the law.

Democrats allege that Musk is consolidating power within the federal government, acting without accountability and potentially against the law.

The first one paints the Democrats as weak and fearful. The second makes their their position one of suspicion, which rightly casts Musks actions and role as something that should be verified. The third is probably the m ost "neutral," even if alleging is something you do to a criminal.

But fear is certainly an extremely Trump friendly way of framing the action. Trump wants to be seen as a feared strongman. Representing the Democrats as fearing is Trump branded copy.

[Wicked Blue]

7. Media outlets are obeying their corporate masters

as usual

[Rebl2]

25. Media

outlets/reporters need to get a spine, balls whatever you want to call it and call out musk and trump and all his goons in great detail 😡

[gypsy11]

33. I'll add

Don’t be afraid, don’t give these assholes what they want. Get mad. Get active. Get loud.

[AZJonnie]

51. I've been noting this about AP since the Iraq War

Always a subtle bias against Dems and Liberals. Verbiage like this, the whole beginning of articles (and paragraphs) laying out the preferred right-wing point/angle first, and then meekly laying out the counter-arguments at the end, that kind of shit. You can spot this tendency in almost any AP article, and it has been obvious to me for a LONG time.

[Native]

8. I looked into this designation, and it looks ripe for abuse.

of course.

[dweller]

9. We don't have a "special government"

We have a UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT !
and eloon skum (N - ZA) is not an employee of it

Try again , Pisswig



✌🏻

[LudwigPastorius]

18. It's a "special government operation", like...

the invasion of Ukraine was a "special military operation".

[Buddyzbuddy]

10. So, "some Whitehouse official" says

Leon is "a special government employee," and the proof is he has an email and an office in what is now referred to as "the Whitehouse complex."
Well, that's different. As long as you "vouch" for him, that'll work. Question. Did you also show him the super, super secret, Our Gang, aka little rascals, handshake.
See, nothing to worry about.

[Wicked Blue]

11. Don't forget the Secret Decoder Ring!

[SomewhereInTheMiddle]

50. When I worked for the federal gov't ...

I knew lots of contractors with .gov and .mil emails and offices in federal buildings. I even managed some. They were not federal employees. Their rules were different.

And an anonymous source with that as evidence is not terribly credible to me. Trump has a history of blurring the lines between private staff/advisors and federal employees. I think this likely falls into that category. Musk is very likely a "special" advisor (unpaid) not a federal employee.

What this means in terms of rights, powers, and oversight likely falls somewhere between what Trump claims and what the courts allow.

But who bells the cat?

[Hekate]

12. Ah, the co-president. Is he set up next to the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office?

[steelyboo]

13. Been in Federal HR for 15 years, never heard of that type of employee

Are the SES (which would require Congressional Approval)? Maybe a GS (what grade? Where was it announced? What was the Area of Consideration?)

What does his PD indicate? What title, series, grade, pay plan?

These dipshits act like no one else ever worked for the government, and they can just use smoke and mirrors.

[Magoo48]

15. Any business which sees him coming should lock all doors and shut down all systems.

[Native]

16. I bet the group of overgrown teenagers he sent in to rape the servers aren't 'special gov't employees'.

[LudwigPastorius]

17. If he's an employee that means he's getting paid something.

Your tax dollars paying the richest man in the world to tear down the government.

Time for a giant meteor to reset the planet.

[EarthFirst]

19. This is fucking insanity...

Where’s the fucking guardrail to prevent this?

Who becomes the next ‘special government employee’ with zero accountability to access the very foundations of how the government operates?

When does this end?

[ultralite001]

20. Show us the paperwork...

A wink + a nod won't cut it...

Heck... Not even a handshake is good enough...

If F47 + the Musketeer have an employment agreement, Americans have the right to see it...

[IcyPeas]

22. You work for us you moron.

[tanyev]

26. Did anyone do a criminal background check on him?

Drug testing? That was standard protocol for the local government jobs I’ve had.

[rsdsharp]

27. Who administered the oath to him? When and where, specifically, did he swear or affirm to support the Constitution?

[Jilly_in_VA]

28. What does that even mean?

Explain it to us, DonOLD!

[intheflow]

29. No "potential" about this being illegal.

Fuck you, lamestream media! It’s wildly illegal on so many levels. Just because Trump says it’s true doesn’t mean it is true; in fact, it almost certainly means it’s illegal. He’s a felon, ffs! I wish the press would start acting like it.

[Blue Owl]

30. Imagine for a moment if Joe Biden had made George Soros a "special government employee"....

The M$M and MAGA would have had a level 5 nuclear meltdown!

But if Donny does it -- just another day at the office....

[sakabatou]

32. Yup, pretty much crickets

[sakabatou]

31. Dump makes shit up, throws it at the wall, see what sticks

[HipChick]

34. So is Elon the acting President

and Trump just the figurehead?

[Skittles]

37. YES

CORRECT

[Galraedia]

35. He's not a special government employee, he a billionaire with a huge conflict of interest

whose companies benefit largely from taxpayer subsidies. The shear fact that this man even has an office in the White House is utterly insane. This is so blatantly and utterly corrupt. He is undermining congress and the law.

[Skittles]

36. this part

Trump pledged to keep Musk away from aspects of the government that could be a conflict of interest.

[TimeToGo]

38. Then he has to step down from his companies

[HipChick]

39. Good point..

but who is going to make him?

[TimeToGo]

40. That is a problem

But somebody needs to try. Otherwise, they are just going to be get worse.

[Solly Mack]

41. Crock of shit title for a crock of shit agency by a crock of shit president.

[Karasu]

42. Pathetic last-minute attempt at covering his ass.

[Figarosmom]

44. potentially against the law? Nt

[CaptainTruth]

45. Oh he's "special" allright. Ketamine will do that to a person.

[COL Mustard]

47. When did he take the oath of office?

It's required by Article VI of the Constitution. I've taken it several times. Has he? If not, he's not really a Federal employee, more like a 5-year old with a Deputy Sheriff badge who wants to arrest somebody.

[travelingthrulife]

48. No. no he isn't. he is one of those criminal illegal immigrants you are always yammering about.

[Skittles]

52. AKA TRUMP'S OWNER

YES INDEED

I would LOOOOVE to know what JD FUCKING VANCE THINKS OF THIS ARRANGEMENT.

[HarryM]

53. No.

He's a special Nazi agent, sent by Russia and China to destroy the US.