Elon Musk’s Financial Disclosures for DOGE Work Will Be Kept Private Despite His Call for ‘Maximum Transparency’

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The financial disclosure documents filed by Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) head Elon Musk will not be made public despite Musk’s call for “maximum transparency.”

CBS News’ Kathryn Watson shared the news on X, a social media platform owned by Musk, on Friday:

Elon Musk’s financial disclosure will not be available to the public.

A White House official says that Musk, as an unpaid Special Government Employee who is not a commissioned officer, will file a confidential financial disclosure report.

The WH official says Musk was provided an ethics briefing this week and other DOGE staff will receive or have received the same treatment.

278 financial disclosure reports reveal all assets, including investments. Musk’s 278 form, as the wealthiest man in the world with multiple companies, would be extensive.

“A public 278 form would further reveal whether any potential conflicts of interest exist,” added Watson, who also retweeted a post from Musk last November in which the billionaire submitted that “There should be no need for FOIA requests. All government data should be default public for maximum transparency.”

On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt explained that Musk would be responsible for self-policing himself when it comes to potential conflicts of interest he might run into at DOGE.

“The president was already asked and answered this question this week, and he said if Elon Musk comes across a conflict of interest with the contracts and the funding that DOGE is overseeing, then Elon will excuse himself from those contracts,” said Leavitt after being asked about the matter. “And he has again abided by all applicable laws.”

According to NBC News, Musk’s status as a special government employee insulates him from charges of wrongdoing since those with that designation ” are asked to abide by conflict-of-interest requirements and ethics policies that are typically less onerous than they are for federal employees” and “as temporary positions, they bypass some of the disclosure obligations required of full-time roles.”