A senior Federal Election Commission official has accused the Department of Justice of breaching federal policies and unfairly targeting “perceived political opponents” in its recent communication with Elon Musk.
In a letter to DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz on Wednesday, FEC Chairman Sean Cooksey claimed the DOJ’s actions appeared to be a deliberate attempt to “intimidate and chill private citizens and organizations from campaigning on behalf of President Trump,” with the intention of swaying the 2024 presidential election. Cooksey urged Horowitz and the DOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility to launch an investigation and “hold accountable any individuals responsible for any violations of federal law or department policies.”
Cooksey’s comments represent the FEC’s formal response to a letter the DOJ recently sent to Musk’s pro-Trump America PAC, just weeks before Election Day. According to reports, the DOJ’s letter warned that Musk’s $1 million giveaway—offered to voters signing his organization’s petition for constitutional freedom—could potentially violate the law. Musk defended the offer, clarifying that participants weren’t required to register as Republicans or vote in the Nov. 5 elections. Nonetheless, the DOJ’s letter ignited media attention, with critics claiming Musk was undermining democracy.
Cooksey drew a sharp comparison, likening the DOJ’s actions to the Watergate scandal, asserting, “Employees of President Biden’s Department of Justice wanted to stop an independent political committee from campaigning for President Trump in crucial swing states just prior to election day.” He also accused the DOJ’s Public Integrity Section of leaking the letter to the New York Times, violating the department’s media policies.
“Writing such a letter and then leaking it also violates the department’s long-standing policy against the identification of uncharged parties and the disclosure of prejudicial information,” Cooksey wrote.
Musk, once a Democrat who supported former President Barack Obama, has shifted politically over recent years. Known for founding Tesla and SpaceX, he endorsed Trump after the first assassination attempt on the president-elect in July. This week, Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy were appointed by Trump to head the new Department of Government Efficiency.
Announcing the appointments, Trump stated, “Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies—Essential to the ‘Save America’ Movement.”
