- Private bodyguards for Elon Musk were deputized as federal agents in February 2025 despite not meeting the minimum requirements for training and experience.
- Internal emails reveal that senior U.S. Marshals Service official Rich Kelly exempted Musk's security detail from rules requiring a “basic law enforcement training program” and at least one year of law enforcement experience at an agency with general arrest powers.
- The deputization occurred while Musk was serving as the head of DOGE, an agency that was later disbanded in November 2025.
- The documents were released through a Freedom of Information Act request by the progressive campaign group Democracy Forward.
- Democracy Forward criticized the exemption as “irregular and unprecedented,” suggesting it highlighted the politicisation of the USMS.
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