As President Donald Trump travels through the Middle East on his first foreign trip, Senate Democrats have called for an investigation into whether his administration is assisting Elon Musk’s Starlink in securing international deals, ABC News reported on Wednesday.

In a letter addressed to Attorney General Pam Bondi, acting US Office of Government Ethics Director Jamieson Greer, State Department acting Inspector General Arne Baker, and White House ethics official Scott Gast, the senators urged a probe into possible administration interference.

They questioned whether officials are improperly supporting Starlink during its negotiations with foreign governments on tariffs and regulatory issues.

The letter, led by Senate Banking Committee ranking member Elizabeth Warren, Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner, and Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen, referenced recent Washington Post reports suggesting the State Department may be pressuring foreign governments to ease regulatory barriers for Musk’s Starlink satellite venture.

"These reports indicate that Mr. Musk may be using his official role and his proximity to the President as leverage for his own personal financial benefit, even if it comes at the expense of American consumers and the nation's foreign policy interests," the letter stated.

It added that such actions raise serious questions about potential violations of ethics or other laws by Musk or administration officials.

The Senate Democrats, along with several additional co-signers, insisted that the Department of Justice and the White House ethics office investigate possible federal ethics law violations. They focused on whether Musk or other officials exploited their government positions to benefit Starlink’s international business prospects.

Starlink’s rapid international approvals

The letter pointed to Musk’s high-profile appearance alongside President Trump during his foreign trip to the Gulf, where Musk was prominently seated at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh. Shortly after, Saudi Arabia approved Starlink for aviation and maritime use, which the Senators highlighted that this approval was not an isolated incident.

Starlink has experienced a wave of new international market authorizations since the Trump administration began, despite prior difficulties in obtaining foreign operating permits.

Specifically, the letter noted Bangladesh’s approval of Starlink soon after a Bangladeshi official met Musk at the White House, raising concerns over a possible ethics breach considering Musk’s status as a special government employee.

Furthermore, the senators cited India’s unusually swift approval process amid ongoing White House tariff negotiations with the country.

The lawmakers condemned the apparent exchange of Starlink adoption for tariff concessions as "a textbook case of corruption."

They urged both the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section, which handles criminal conflict-of-interest cases, and the White House ethics official to investigate potential federal ethics violations, including any unlawful quid pro quo arrangements involving administration officials.

The White House has rejected these allegations, dismissing claims of Musk’s involvement in Starlink deals as unfounded. White House principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields told ABC News that "this is fake news from media outlets determined to invent conflicts of interest that don't exist. For the umpteenth time, President Trump will not tolerate any conflicts of interest, and every administration official is following ethical guidelines set by their respective agencies."