Two prominent Congressional Democrats have called for an explanation from Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding a recently canceled proposal to purchase $400 million worth of armored electric vehicles from Tesla.
In a letter, U.S. Reps. Gregory Meeks from New York and Jared Moskowitz from Florida highlighted concerns over this initiative, referring to it as a “serious violation of federal procurement laws” that could potentially “unlawfully enrich” Elon Musk, the billionaire tech mogul involved in the White House.
Earlier this week, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut also reached out to Rubio demanding clarity on the Tesla procurement plans.
A spokesperson from the State Department previously stated that the $400 million figure was merely an “estimate” and confirmed there are currently no intentions to proceed with the acquisition. The pursuit of assessing the potential use of Teslas as armored vehicles reportedly began during the Biden administration.
Documentation acquired by ECNETNews indicates that the Biden White House intended to allocate $483,000 for electric vehicle procurement in 2025 — a figure significantly lower than the $400 million initially projected in a spreadsheet. Following initial backlash, the document was reportedly amended to remove any specific reference to “armored Tesla.”
The lawmakers have raised questions about the apparent alterations to the procurement document, questioning if any intentional modifications were made to mislead the public regarding the timeline and budget of the electric vehicle contracts.
Requests for comments from both the State Department and Musk’s representatives have gone unanswered.
The lawmakers are seeking clarification from Rubio on whether the amount in question was altered and are requesting confirmation that the contract has been “definitively abandoned.”
As the investigation into this procurement decision continues, the origins and specifics surrounding the proposed $400 million Tesla purchase remain under scrutiny.
