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.
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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