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Congress members' SpaceX stock purchases raise conflict-of-interest questions

Published July 28, 2026 at 12:03 PM UTC

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Several members of the United States Congress have purchased shares in SpaceX, the private space company led by Elon Musk, according to recent disclosures. The stock sales, conducted through private transactions, have drawn scrutiny because SpaceX holds billions of dollars in government contracts with NASA and the Pentagon. Lawmakers are generally allowed to invest in companies, but the STOCK Act requires them to disclose trades within 45 days and prohibits using nonpublic information for personal gain. Critics question whether such investments create a conflict when Congress votes on space policy or defense spending. The issue affects taxpayers, who fund the contracts, and other aerospace companies that compete for federal business. Supporters of the trades argue they are legal and transparent. The Office of Congressional Ethics has not announced an investigation. The public can track these holdings through periodic financial reports. The broader trend of lawmakers investing in defense contractors has drawn bipartisan concern in recent years, with some members proposing stricter rules.