Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick urged Fox News viewers Wednesday night to buy Tesla stock, an apparent violation of federal ethics rules that prohibit officials from endorsing products or businesses.
His promotion of Tesla was the latest move by a Trump administration official to bolster support for Elon Musk’s car company as it becomes a target for voters upset about the sweeping, unprecedented cuts Musk is leading across the federal government through the U.S. DOGE Service.
“I think if you want to learn something on this show tonight, buy Tesla. It’s unbelievable that this guy’s stock is this cheap. It’ll never be this cheap again,” Lutnick said on Fox News.
With only a few exceptions, the Code of Federal Regulations prohibits executive branch employees from using their public office “for the endorsement of any product, service, or enterprise.” Employees are also generally barred from giving preferential treatment to an individual or organization. Those ethical rules, along with the tenet that officials shouldn’t use their public office for private gain, are central to American democratic norms, advocates for ethics in government said.
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Lutnick’s comments could be interpreted as attempting to aid in enriching Musk, and they add to a growing perception that “the Trump administration is trying to help Elon Musk,” said Jordan Libowitz, spokesperson for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
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“And whether or not that is true … that’s the kind of thing that you would want them to avoid because you don’t want the White House to be seen as playing favorites,” Libowitz said.
His promotion of Tesla was the latest move by a Trump administration official to bolster support for Elon Musk’s car company as it becomes a target for voters upset about the sweeping, unprecedented cuts Musk is leading across the federal government through the U.S. DOGE Service.
“I think if you want to learn something on this show tonight, buy Tesla. It’s unbelievable that this guy’s stock is this cheap. It’ll never be this cheap again,” Lutnick said on Fox News.
With only a few exceptions, the Code of Federal Regulations prohibits executive branch employees from using their public office “for the endorsement of any product, service, or enterprise.” Employees are also generally barred from giving preferential treatment to an individual or organization. Those ethical rules, along with the tenet that officials shouldn’t use their public office for private gain, are central to American democratic norms, advocates for ethics in government said.
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Lutnick’s comments could be interpreted as attempting to aid in enriching Musk, and they add to a growing perception that “the Trump administration is trying to help Elon Musk,” said Jordan Libowitz, spokesperson for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
🏛️
Follow Politics
“And whether or not that is true … that’s the kind of thing that you would want them to avoid because you don’t want the White House to be seen as playing favorites,” Libowitz said.
