[Source/Observer Network, Wang Yi] The Wall Street Journal reported exclusively on June 10 that due to concerns that foreigners might attempt to influence American billionaire Elon Musk, multiple US government agencies monitored foreign visitors to his properties in 2022 and 2023.

The investigation was jointly initiated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice, focusing on "foreigners who may attempt to influence Musk" from Eastern Europe and other countries. The investigation has not yet brought any charges, and its current progress is unclear. However, officials from multiple agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), have been briefed on the matter.

The names and nationalities of the specific foreign visitors being tracked have not been disclosed.

Elon Musk met with Turkish President Erdogan during a visit to the US in 2023. Video screenshot.

The Wall Street Journal reported that this investigation took place during former President Biden's term, highlighting the US government's concern about the number of foreigners around Musk. Musk owns several companies, including SpaceX, many of which have sensitive contracts with the US government and have extensive access to high-ranking government officials.

According to梳理by The Independent, since 2008, the US government has committed or granted nearly $2.1 billion to Musk's companies. Most of these funds are contracts signed between the federal government and SpaceX, which has defense satellite launch contracts, including the secret spy satellite launch plan of the National Reconnaissance Office.

The Trump administration also issued warnings about so-called foreign influence, announcing travel bans on more than ten countries and restricting foreign students from studying at American universities.

Musk did not respond to media requests for comment. A White House spokesperson transferred the request for comment to the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI. White House officials said they were previously unaware of any investigation. The FBI declined to comment.

Musk was born in South Africa but has become a naturalized American citizen. Last year, he donated over $250 million through his Super Political Action Committee, "American Political Action Committee," to help Trump return to the White House.

Before their public breakup last week over a budget bill, Musk, thanks to his "brotherhood" with Trump, served as a special government employee in Trump's team, responsible for cutting federal budgets and occasionally appearing on Trump's foreign visits to build relationships with foreign leaders.

After Trump's victory last year, he met with foreign leaders together with Musk on multiple occasions. Social media.

Two people familiar with the operations of the "American Political Action Committee" revealed that Musk traveled frequently with foreigners, causing staff at the committee to start worrying about the identities of those attending events and meetings with him.

A staff member of the "American Political Action Committee" stated that they had to conduct extensive reviews to ensure no foreigners could participate in their activities. Two campaign staff also expressed concerns about Musk's foreign circle of friends.

The Newsweek also pointed out that long-time critics such as Stephen Bannon, a former chief strategist for Trump, have repeatedly warned that Musk's foreign connections may lead to conflicts of interest and security risks.

In an October report, The Wall Street Journal claimed that Musk has maintained regular contact with Russian President Putin since the end of 2022. However, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin press secretary, denied the claim of regular dialogue between Putin and Musk, stating that they had only spoken once, discussing "space and current and future technologies."

The report also mentioned that Musk's close ties with foreigners led SpaceX lawyers to advise against seeking higher security clearance, fearing that Musk might have to explain these foreign relationships, otherwise, his security clearance would face the risk of complete revocation.

A spokesperson for SpaceX dismissed the reports in The Independent, calling them "misleading" and "baseless."

This article is an exclusive contribution from Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7514598179162128936/

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