Musk's "Efficiency" Team Cuts the Auto Safety Cop—While His Company Is Under Investigation

In late February 2025, reporting revealed that Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had cut roughly 30 jobs at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the agency that investigates vehicle defects and oversees Tesla's driver-assistance systems. Staff working on automated-vehicle safety were disproportionately affected.

The cuts drew scrutiny because NHTSA was actively investigating Tesla in multiple open cases at the time, including issues tied to its self-driving features. Democratic lawmakers and ethics watchdogs said the layoffs, carried out by a team led by the CEO of the company under investigation, presented an unusually direct conflict of interest. NHTSA said it retained positions 'critical to the mission' of the agency.

The episode fits a broader pattern of scrutiny over Musk's dual role as a federal cost-cutting official and head of a company regulated by agencies DOGE was targeting. No findings of unlawful conduct have been established.