Elon Musk affiliate in FBI director's office sparks fear of partisan interference
A person who has been affiliated with Elon Musk’s SpaceX and a former aide to one of the FBI’s toughest Congressional critics are working as advisers to the bureau’s director, current and former FBI officials say.
A person who has been affiliated with Elon Musk’s SpaceX and a former aide to one of the FBI’s toughest congressional critics are working as advisers to the bureau’s director, four current and former FBI officials told NBC News.
The two are among at least four people who have been brought into the FBI to advise its director, the current and former officials said. At least two of the new advisers are retired FBI agents, one of whom, Tom Ferguson, was an aide to Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a staunch Trump ally and vocal FBI critic.
The arrival of the person who has been affiliated with Space X has not been previously reported. NBC News has not confirmed the person’s name. A spokesperson for SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment.
It’s not clear who facilitated the arrival of the new advisers or what areas they are focusing on. A spokesperson for Kash Patel, President Donald Trump's pick for FBI director, did not respond to a request for comment. Neither did the FBI. Patel's Senate confirmation hearing is Thursday.
Former FBI officials said the new advisers have sparked concerns that people with ties to partisan political figures will be helping run the country’s most powerful law enforcement agency. While some FBI officials briefed on the arrangement are hopeful that it could result in needed reforms, others fear a compromise of the bureau’s decades-old tradition of distancing itself from politics.
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