Overview
- FOIA emails released Monday by the U.S. Marshals Service, after a Democracy Forward request, show the agency approved a White House request in February 2025 to deputize Elon Musk’s private guards.
- The records say at least some guards lacked basic law enforcement training or a year of experience with arrest authority, and associate director Rich Kelly approved waivers on February 13th.
- The special status let the guards carry guns and travel to protect Musk, with no general arrest power, and Kelly recommended a two-year window limited to his protection.
- The agency has not said whether the deputation is still active or when it ended, drawing fresh calls for answers from advocates and on Capitol Hill.
- The disclosures follow a September 2024 inspector general audit that faulted the Marshals Service for improper deputations, deepening scrutiny of decisions made during Musk’s DOGE tenure.