Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick has called for an investigation into Elon Musk. The demand follows allegations that restrictions on Starshield, a military-grade satellite communications service, disrupted Ukraine’s war efforts against Russia. Fitzpatrick questioned Musk’s legal authority over the system and called for an investigation, warning that such restrictions could cost lives.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick wants answers about Starshield restrictions
During an October 20 interview with CNN, Fitzpatrick called for witnesses to testify under oath. He said the investigation should establish who was responsible for the reported service slowdown. “We gotta investigate it,” he said. “We gotta call the witnesses, gotta bring ’em in, put ’em under oath, and get to the bottom of it because this is a very, very serious matter.” (Via Radar Online)
According to The Wall Street Journal, Elon Musk allegedly ordered the Starshield restrictions. The reported restrictions may have disrupted Ukrainian drone operations and caused concern in Kyiv and within the Trump administration.
Fitzpatrick said Musk has decision-making authority over Starlink, the civilian commercial service. However, he argued that this authority does not extend to Starshield. He also questioned why a private citizen should have a say in how military technology is deployed during an armed conflict.
Fitzpatrick suggested that Musk testify under oath as part of an investigation into whether the reported restrictions violated federal law. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s potential involvement in the matter remained unclear.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denied that the Pentagon had ordered any restrictions on the service. However, Fitzpatrick criticized the administration’s response and demanded answers. “These answers are wildly insufficient. There’s a lot of finger-pointing, a lot of people saying, ‘Well, not me.’ Okay, if not you, then who?” Fitzpatrick said. “We have to get to the bottom of it, and we will.”
The controversy comes after Trump signed an executive order on October 16 waiving sanctions and related restrictions under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. Trump claimed Russia had agreed to supply diesel fuel to the US and global markets. He said the deal would help lower fuel prices.
This story originally appeared on Realitytea
