US Democrats Prepare Probe Into Musk Over Starlink Restrictions in Ukraine, CNN Reports
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has told companies and the administration to preserve documents ahead of investigations expected once Democrats take control of Congress in January.
By Isabella Kaur ·
US Democrats are laying the groundwork for investigations into Elon Musk's role in throttling satellite communications for Ukraine, with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee sending letters demanding that documents be preserved ahead of the next session of Congress, an aide to a Democratic senator told CNN.
According to the aide, letters were addressed to Musk regarding restrictions placed on the Starshield system in Ukraine. Similar preservation requests were also sent to ports, banks and private entities connected to a deal involving the supply of Russian diesel fuel.
The aide described the letters as a "standard committee procedure", saying such requests to preserve documents are routinely sent to individuals suspected of violating the law "or being involved in certain activities".
The move comes as Democrats prepare to take the majority in Congress in January, when they are expected to launch significant efforts to scrutinize the actions of the Trump administration over the past two years.
The aide said there is "intense communication" on oversight matters as the committee goes through a leadership transition. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the panel's senior Democrat, is retiring, and Senator Chris Coons is expected to take over as chair, sources told CNN.
On defense policy, the aide said no major changes to the National Defense Authorization Act are anticipated, noting that "the base text in both the Senate and the House of Representatives has basically been agreed upon". The Senate passed the bill in July, but the House of Representatives has yet to vote on it.
The aide added that if "something drastic happens" in the war involving Iran, "Democrats might try to push new language in exchange for votes". Still, with Republicans holding the majority in the current Congress, any effort to limit President Donald Trump's powers on that issue is unlikely to advance.
The planned inquiries follow months of controversy over satellite service disruptions affecting Ukraine's military. The Pentagon's inspector general earlier rejected a bipartisan request from US senators to investigate recent interruptions to Starlink and Starshield services in the country.
On 22 October, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had allegedly phoned Musk and asked him to lift the restrictions on Starshield in Ukraine. Trump declined to confirm whether he had made such a call to the SpaceX owner.
Two days later, on 24 October, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Starlink and Starshield had been restored "at the speeds they were capable of before these restrictions were imposed".
