Comptroller Lander aims to hold Musk and his board accountable while Republican financial officers are blaming protestors.
by Natalia Renta
In the wake of recent Tesla Takedown protests at hundreds of dealerships across the country, financial officers on both sides of the political aisle weighed in on how to address Tesla’s tanking share price. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander called for accountability from Elon Musk and Tesla’s board of directors, while 26 Republican state financial officers seemingly sought to blame and intimidate the many concerned citizens exercising their First Amendment rights.
Musk’s attempts to slash government agencies, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, through DOGE has triggered public outrage. Countless people have shown up with witty signs at hundreds of Tesla dealerships to peacefully express their displeasure at an unelected billionaire exercising unlawful power across the federal government. The reputational damage Musk has inflicted on Tesla through his destructive, undemocratic actions has resulted in plummeting car sales and Tesla shares losing nearly 40 percent of their value in less than three months.
State financial officers, as stewards of public pension funds, weighed in on this controversy. Pension funds hold many types of investments, including in index funds that are invested across the stock market — including in Tesla shares.