
According to a report Monday from staff on the Senate Democratic Committee, Elon Musk was able to dodge more than $2 billion in financial penalties by using DOGE to pull federal strings.
The report alleges that Elon will use his heavy influence to kill the investigation, avoid enforcement and wipe out lawsuits that have been linked to his business. Elon’s so-called “government efficiency” has helped President Donald Trump shred Washington institutions while openly supporting offensive cuts.
Democrats now say that Elon’s upcoming exit from Doge Operations is about avoiding scrutiny more than anything else.
They accused Elon, the world’s wealthiest person, of “averaging surveillance, avoiding investigations, derailing and litigating every time they choose to file a lawsuit,” on his terms and his orders,” the report said.
The Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on the Investigation has compiled a 44-page memo outlining how Deep Elon’s confusion took place.

On Trump’s inauguration day, Elon’s companies, including SpaceX, Tesla, Neuralink, The Boring Company and Xai, faced at least 65 active or possible regulatory or enforcement measures from 115 different federal agencies.
These open cases have been stacked up to $2.37 billion in potential financial risk. At Tesla, investigators flagged $119 billion for allegedly lying about the capabilities of autopilots and autonomous driving capabilities.
Neuralink, Elon’s Brain Chip Venture, faced $281 million in potential penalties that allegedly filed false claims for risks related to the product. NeuralInk risked an additional $1.59 million private and criminal fines related to alleged violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Elon wasn’t just trying to protect one company, according to the report. He had a full empire to shield.
Senate pushes Elon for answers before the May deadline
Democrats said Elon’s actions had one clear goal.
“The throughline that brings together many of Elon’s decisions is self-rich and appears to be avoiding what he perceives as obstacles to advance his interests,” the memo said.
Senate officials also warned that the real benefits Elon has pocketed through these tactics “may never be known, and that is by design. Silence is strategic, and that is dangerous.”
Sen. Richard Blumental, a committee ranking member, of Connecticut, sent a formal letter requesting responses to all five Elon-managed companies.
Blumenthal hopes each business will leak details about the investigations Trump faced before taking office, and explain how Elon’s Doge government work has not been used to disrupt those probes.
Blumenthal told them to respond by May 11th. Elon and his company left little time to come up with the documents. The White House, as usual, denounced the Democratic claims.
The Trump administration denied that Elon’s government’s role was used for personal or economic benefits. “Otherwise, all claims are completely false and a honourable loss,” the White House said in a statement.
In a response to an email, Trump’s communications director, Stephen Chen said that Blumenthal was “evidently suffering from an undebilitating case of Trump Frangiment syndrome, which lost his brain.”
Elon’s Doge’s involvement and his company’s problems are more deeply intertwined than ever before. Senate Democrats don’t just ask questions. They delve into years of investigations, fines and claims Elon tried to erase while he was on a government machine.
All cases connected to Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, The Borring Company, and Xai have dollar amounts and paper trails, with notes that could be further hidden beneath the surface.
Democrats said Elon’s control was neither random nor messy. It said it was sharp, calculated and designed to crush what was in his way. They pointed to government cuts, silence of regulations and dismantled agencies as part of Elon’s game plan.
The White House might laugh at that, but Senate Democrats want an answer in black and white. With the May 11 deadline approaching, Elon’s company can open a book or deal with a full-scale Senate fight.
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