The Campaign Legal Center (CLC) on Friday called for an investigation into whether Commerce Secretary Howard Rutnick's recent comments were recent comments encouraging Americans to buy Tesla shares.
in letter To the Department of Commerce's Government Ethics and Ethics Officer's Office of Government Ethics and Ethics, Watchdog Group has called Lutnick's remarks a “clearly serious violation” of federal law that prohibits public servants from promoting “products, services or businesses.”
“We are pleased to announce that Kedric Payne, CLC's vice president, ethics advisor and senior director, and Danielle Caputo, senior legal counsel for the Ethics Group,” said:
“When Cabinet Secretary officials act as promoting the company's stock, public goods will not be provided,” they added.
Lutnick shouted Tesla stocks on Wednesday when he appeared on Fox News' “Jesse Watters Primetime.” There, they were asked about recent attacks targeting Tesla dealers, showrooms, charging stations and vehicles.
He denounced the attack as “outrageous”, praised Tesla's CEO and praised Trump's ally Elon Musk as “probably the best entrepreneur, the best technician, and the best leader in a company working in America.”
“If you want to learn something from this show tonight, if you want to buy a Tesla,” Rutnik added. “I can't believe this guy's stock is this cheap. It's never going to be this cheap again.”
The Trump administration has been hit hard by Tesla in recent weeks. The company faces violent backlash and believes its stock price is plummeting in response to Musk's prominent and controversial role in government efficiency (DOGE).
Last week, President Trump promised to buy a Tesla and tested several models parked outside the White House. Attorney General Pam Bondy, who labeled the attack on Telsa as “domestic terrorism,” announced the arrest of three suspected perpetrators on Thursday.
