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Elon Musk on Tuesday went to bat for former Rep. Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial pick for attorney general, slamming allegations against him as “worth less than nothing.”
The Florida Republican’s nomination had drawn plenty of criticism from across the aisle, with both GOP and Democratic members of Congress questioning Gaetz’s candidacy. Gaetz resigned last week, just days before the House Ethics Committee was set to vote on releasing a report about his alleged misconduct.
That committee is set to meet Wednesday to discuss its reportedly damaging report detailing its investigation into allegations that Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts, and had created a hostile workplace environment. Both Republican and Democratic senators have said they want access to the report before they vote on Gaetz’s nomination next year.
“Matt Gaetz has 3 critical assets that are needed for the AG role: a big brain, a spine of steel and an axe to grind,” Musk, who has become a key Trump ally with the president-elect’s ear, wrote on his X social media platform. “Gaetz will be our Hammer of Justice.”
Musk also compared Gaetz to Judge Dredd, a comic book law enforcement agent described as the “ultimate draconian cop” who works for an authoritarian government. The Tesla (TSLA+7.98%) and SpaceX CEO will be taking his own role in working with the Trump administration, leading a group aiming to slash federal spending.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has investigated Gaetz, with the initial probe launching in late 2020 during the Trump administration. That probe concerned allegations that Gaetz had engaged in a sex-trafficking scheme involving a 17-year-old girl.
Joel Greenberg, a former Seminole County tax collector who has been convicted on charges related to wire fraud and underage sex trafficking, cooperated with the DOJ’s probe after Gaetz’s name was brought up during the investigation.
Gaetz has denied the allegations, calling them politically motivated, and the Justice Department closed its probe in February 2023 without filing charges. Prosecutors cited concerns over witness credibility, according to The Wall Street Journal (NWSA+0.49%).
“As for these accusations against him, I consider them worth less than nothing. Under our laws, a man is considered innocent until proven guilty,” Musk added on Tuesday, calling Attorney General Merrick Garland an expletive and alleging that if he could have secured Gaetz’s conviction, he would have brought forward the case.
Musk has been repeatedly accused of helping foster a hostile work environment at his companies, including Tesla and SpaceX. Both companies have been sued over allegations related to sexual harassment, while thousands of workers accused Tesla of failing to address rampant racism at one of its factories. In June, it was reported that Musk had repeatedly approached women at SpaceX for sexual activities and to have his children.
“Musk knowingly and purposefully created an unwelcome hostile work environment based upon his conduct of interjecting into the workplace vile sexual photographs, memes, and commentary that demeaned women and/or the LGBTQ+ community,” eight SpaceX engineers said in a complaint filed in June.
Gaetz’s confirmation isn’t guaranteed to pass the Republican-controlled Senate, largely as a result of the allegations. The New York Times (NYT+1.10%) reports that Trump thinks Gaetz has less than even odds of being confirmed, while Politico reports that GOP senators are telling Trump and his team that they have their own doubts.