Oct. 16 (UPI) — SpaceX sued the California Coastal Commission Tuesday, alleging bias against Elon Musk’s right-wing politics in a decision not to allow the company to launch more rockets from an Air Force base in the state.
The suit alleged that the commission “egregiously and unlawfully” overreached its authority and “engaged in naked political discrimination” against SpaceX.
Musk claimed in the lawsuit that the commission exceeded its mandate by allegedly punishing SpaceX for his right-wing and pro-Trump politics.
The suit followed a commission meeting that denied Musk’s request to launch as many as 50 Falcon 9 rockets per year from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara.
Before her vote, commissioner Gretchen Newsom, no relation to Gov. Gavin Newsom, called Musk out for what she alleged are his “bigoted beliefs against California’s safeguards and protections over our transgender community.”
She added that Musk is “spewing and tweeting political falsehoods and attacking FEMA while claiming his desire to help the hurricane victims with free Starlink access to the Internet.”
According to campaign finance records, Musk gave a pro-Trump super PAC at least $75 million. Musk also is using his social-media platform X to promote Trump’s candidacy and far-right politics.
Musk also is appearing on the campaign trail with Trump.
The commission maintains that SpaceX’s California activities are not a federal program, but a private company’s state operations, which are subject to the commission’s regulations.
The Commission regulates land and water use within California’s coastal zone.
The SpaceX suit claims activities at the Vandenberg Space Force Base are federal and not subject to the commission’s regulations.
Possibly affecting the suit’s outcome, though, is that SpaceX is a private company and not a federal agency.
