John, when Elon Musk traded over $290 million in campaign cash [1] for a license to slash and burn our government, we knew that the American people would pay a price.

Musk – who got rich thanks to millions in government contracts – can leverage his newfound power for profit by loosening regulations and cutting the budget to save on his tax bill. And this will all happen at your expense.

But don’t worry!

You see, Donald Trump’s press secretary promised this week that Elon Musk would decide for himself if his newfound power poses any conflicts of interest. [2]

Doesn’t that put your mind at ease? Nothing to see here – this fox can guard his own henhouse!

I’m not being serious of course. And frankly, neither is anybody who says we can trust Elon Musk to police himself.

President Trump has promised time and time again to “drain the swamp” -- but handing this unprecedented power to the world’s richest person, whose businesses depend on government contracts, is a recipe for unprecedented corruption.

Let’s face it, a businessman whose bottom line relies heavily on public spending is the last person who should be making decisions about where our tax dollars go.

Musk’s companies got $3 billion in federal contracts in 2023 [3] – but he’s not targeting his own lucrative deals. He’s going after your Social Security, your roads and bridges, your clean air and water, and your right to live in comfort and safety.

But as a member of Common Cause, you know our democracy’s Big Money problem is bigger than any one man.

Under Trump 2.0, we face a real risk of companies like Tyson and Perdue deciding our food safety rules, ExxonMobil and Chevron deciding our environmental protections, and Walmart and Amazon deciding what rights people have in the workplace.

It’s time to draw a line in the sand. Common Cause has launched our Fire Elon Musk campaign because we know that the wealthy and powerful shouldn’t get their way at the rest of our expense. And we’re driving calls to Congress, leading petition deliveries at district offices, and a running a public outreach campaign to get it done.

So, if you’re ready to help us fight for a democracy where people like you and me call the shots – NOT billionaires like Elon Musk, will you step up to support our efforts with a contribution of $3 or more today?

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Musk and Trump’s cuts will hurt anyone who relies on a clean environment, lifesaving medical research, and a government that works for the people – in other words, everybody. With your help, we won’t let them get away with it.

The team at Common Cause

[1] https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/01/politics/elon-musk-2024-election-spending-millions/index.html
[2] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-02-05/white-house-says-musk-will-police-his-own-conflicts-of-interest
[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/20/us/politics/elon-musk-federal-agencies-contracts.html