Elon Musk / Drug Use / Security Clearance

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franknd

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Interesting article in the WSJ about Elon Musk's alleged drug use. I like him, but this passage is hard to understand in the context of the article:

"In his role as CEO and founder of SpaceX, Musk has a security clearance that gives him access to classified information. "

I'm having a hard time understanding this. If there is essentially no dispute that Elon continues to openly use illegal drugs, how in the world does he maintain his clearance? Is this simply a case of one rule for multi-billionaires and another for everybody else? What does the issuing authority have to say about this?? More to the point, doesn't this give people who have been denied clearances for the same, or lesser, behavior a legitimate beef?

www.wsj.com

Elon Musk Has Used Illegal Drugs, Worrying Leaders at Tesla and SpaceX

Some executives and board members fear the billionaire’s use of drugs—including LSD, cocaine, ecstasy, mushrooms and ketamine—could harm his companies.
www.wsj.com www.wsj.com
 
franknd said:
I get it, but rules are still rules, aren't they? If the rules don't really serve a purpose, then let's change them.
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Did Elon take an oath and agree to abide by rules? We need him more than he needs us. ;)
 
Kierkegaard said:
Different set of rules for powerful people. Senator Menendez is still receiving highly classified briefings despite almost certainly being compromised by Egyptian intelligence. Pvt Schmuckatelli will get the book thrown at him for much less.
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I feel like there are other current examples.
 
A1Janitor said:
I feel like there are other current examples.
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The whole clearance system should be re-examined, which I believe it currently is. That kid in the air national guard who leaked TS documents about Ukraine on a Minecraft groupchat had a TS/SCI despite being an unreliable person, because clearance determinations emphasize what is easily measured such as debt, criminal record, and drug test results. I’m not a counterintelligence guru, but perhaps there is more that could be done.
 
I think one important disqualification factor is whether the Elon Musk or Pfc Schmuckatelli or Jared Kushner or Jack Teixeira lied on the SF-86.

Did Musk submit to a Poly? Did his clearance require it?

His behavior, aside from drug use, would probably send red flags flying like a May Day parade.
 
cb7893 said:
I think one important disqualification factor is whether the Elon Musk or Pfc Schmuckatelli or Jared Kushner or Jack Teixeira lied on the SF-86.

Did Musk submit to a Poly? Did his clearance require it?

His behavior, aside from drug use, would probably send red flags flying like a May Day parade.
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What behavior?

He has done some pretty amazing things.
 
I've been in a 2nd orbit around musk for projects, A1 Janitor please stop unless you've worked for him directly then I'll humbly acquiesce.
 
Army82_90 said:
I've been in a 2nd orbit around musk for projects, A1 Janitor please stop unless you've worked for him directly then I'll humbly acquiesce.
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I see what his accomplishments are. That’s more important to me.

Especially when we know the behavior of other high ranking officials.
 
A1Janitor said:
Did Elon take an oath and agree to abide by rules?
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Irrelevant. It's illegal under federal law for a federal agency to grant or renew a security clearance to a current unlawful user of a controlled substance.
 
So...interesting chat.

My glass of red wine tonight would loose its luster :) if we started to rank visible leadership behavior.

The culture I left was devisive, supporting a culture that encourages folks to jump on ship mates shoulders, **** on their heads as they climb the promotional ladder and reward those that do.

I've seen 3Cs in SA classes who have more mature leadership bouyance than I witnessed in his organization.

But to be fair...he hired some really smart folks.
 
Remember when the Director of Naval Intelligence had his security clearance revoked and took unclassified intelligence briefs for the remainder of a 3-year tour instead of being replaced? There was an Intel JO somewhere with the unfortunate job of somehow filtering TS information down to UNCLAS for the Admiral...

I think this would be under Guideline J until drug involvement is actually proven and this moves beyond allegations of criminal behavior. In that case, the language in the security clearance guidelines actually provides a lot of flexibility, even for criminal conduct. Guideline H has much more precise language.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/32/147.12
www.law.cornell.edu

32 CFR § 147.10 - Guideline H—Drug involvement.

www.law.cornell.edu www.law.cornell.edu

The government, for better or worse, writes many "outs" for itself to use for situations like this.
 
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gonavy14 said:
SpaceX has left NASA in the dust in terms of technological capability. The DoD has no choice but to rely on SpaceX for certain things now since NASA is either unable to do them at all, or the cost would be prohibitive.
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Saw a comment elsewhere about this that Elon Musk is “too big to fail” a drug test.
 
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