U.S. checks Musk’s security clearance
WASHINGTON The Pentagon is reviewing Elon Musk’s federal security clearance following the billionaire’s pot toke on a California comedian’s podcast in September, according to a U.S. official.
Musk has refiled his SF-86 security form, which requires a federal employee or contractor seeking a clearance to acknowledge any illegal drug use over the previous seven years, according to the official, who asked not to be identified. Musk has a secret-level clearance because of his role as founder and CEO of Space Exploration Technologies Corp., which is certified to launch military spy satellites.
A SpaceX official, who asked not to be identified, said the review hasn’t had an impact on the company. SpaceX’s day-to-day operations are run by president and chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell. The company has won contracts for national security space launches since Musk’s podcast incident.
But the refiling and review underscore the continuing ramifications from the chief executive officer’s decision last year to smoke marijuana on the podcast, which quickly went viral. And it highlights the legal discrepancies between federal and state policy on marijuana use: While about three dozen states have taken steps to decriminalize pot, its use remains a federal crime.
It “totally would make sense” for the Defense Security Service to ask Musk to update his application and to investigate the situation further, said Mark Zaid, a Washington attorney who specializes in federal whistleblower cases and represents clients facing clearance challenges. Zaid doesn’t represent Musk and isn’t aware of the details of his case.
James Gleeson, a SpaceX spokesman, declined to comment.
The security refiling may be the least of Musk’s issues after a tumultuous week in which he got into another spat with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over his tweets about Tesla, unveiled cheaper versions of Tesla’s electric vehicles and caught investors by surprise with plans to close auto showrooms. He also watched SpaceX launch a new spacecraft designed to ferry humans into orbit.