Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleIo Dodds in San FranciscoTuesday 07 April 2026 07:04 BSTRelated: DOGE lead says it was appropriate for 20-somethings with no experience to be denying federal grants for DEIPrivate 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 he 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.In fullElon Musk’s private security deputized as US Marshals while at DOGE despite missing experience requirementsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in