Watchdog groups sue the Pentagon over Project Meridian, saying the Musk and Luckey 'Future of Warfare' panel breaks federal advisory committee law
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Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated
Overview
CREW, Public Citizen and POGO say Project Meridian, the Pentagon study co-led by Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich, is an advisory committee operating in secret without a charter or balanced membership. The Defense Department says MITRE applies conflict-of-interest safeguards.
Read the full background
On Sept. 30, 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth commissioned Project Meridian: The Future of Warfare, a 120-day study of the weapons and technologies the military will need, and announced that Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich would co-lead it under the department's chief technology officer, Emil Michael. Hegseth set Jan. 28, 2027 as the deadline for its findings. MITRE, a nonprofit that operates federally funded research centers, said it had been commissioned to lead the effort, and the department said a MITRE-operated center would manage it and write the final report.
On Nov. 2, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Public Citizen and the Project On Government Oversight sued the Defense Department, Hegseth and Michael in federal court in Washington. Their complaint argues that Project Meridian is a federal advisory committee under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which calls for a charter, public notice, open meetings and records, and fairly balanced membership, and that the department has not met those requirements while the group has already held at least two meetings. It also says Musk and Luckey, who lead major defense contractors, and other members have financial stakes in the study's recommendations.
Before the suit, a Defense Department spokesperson told NPR that MITRE is responsible for the analysis and recommendations and applies conflict-of-interest safeguards. The department did not say whether Musk and Luckey serve as special government employees or as contractors, and SpaceXAI and Anduril did not respond to NPR's questions about potential conflicts. We could not locate a public response from the department to the lawsuit as of Nov. 3, 2026.
People in this case
Pete HegsethDirectly involved
Elon MuskDirectly involved
Palmer LuckeyDirectly involved
Newt GingrichDirectly involved
Timeline
3 timeline entries on this page. Dates: September 30, 2026 to November 2, 2026
September 2026
Hegseth commissions Project Meridian and names Musk, Luckey and Gingrich as its leaders
In a memo and his State of the Force address, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth launches Project Meridian: The Future of Warfare, a 120-day study under chief technology officer Emil Michael, co-led by Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich. The group holds its first meeting the same day.
[01]Public Citizen
The 37-page complaint by CREW, Public Citizen and the Project On Government Oversight against the Defense Department, Secretary Pete Hegseth and Under Secretary Emil Michael, posted on the Public Citizen website. It asks the court to declare that Project Meridian is a federal advisory committee operating in violation of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. It states the plaintiffs' allegations, which the defendants have not yet answered.
Complaint, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington v. U.S. Department of Defense, No. 1:26-cv-03856 (D.D.C. filed Nov. 2, 2026), ECF 1 · Public CitizenECF 1, introduction (paragraphs 1 to 9) and Project Meridian facts (paragraphs 46 to 58)[02]NPR
NPR report on conflict-of-interest questions about Project Meridian's leaders, with a written statement from a Defense Department spokesperson about MITRE's role and comments from ethics lawyer Richard Painter and unnamed current and former officials.
Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey's new Pentagon roles raise ethics worries · NPRDefense Department spokesperson statement; Richard Painter interview
October 2026
MITRE says it will lead Project Meridian
MITRE announces that it was commissioned to lead Project Meridian and names Gingrich, Musk and Luckey as co-directors with 17 other participants. The Defense Department says a MITRE-operated research center will manage the study and write an unclassified final report with classified annexes.
[01]Public Citizen
The 37-page complaint by CREW, Public Citizen and the Project On Government Oversight against the Defense Department, Secretary Pete Hegseth and Under Secretary Emil Michael, posted on the Public Citizen website. It asks the court to declare that Project Meridian is a federal advisory committee operating in violation of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. It states the plaintiffs' allegations, which the defendants have not yet answered.
Complaint, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington v. U.S. Department of Defense, No. 1:26-cv-03856 (D.D.C. filed Nov. 2, 2026), ECF 1 · Public CitizenECF 1, introduction (paragraphs 1 to 9) and Project Meridian facts (paragraphs 46 to 58)
November 2026
CREW, Public Citizen and POGO sue the Defense Department over Project Meridian
Source release
The three groups file suit in federal court in Washington against the Defense Department, Hegseth and Michael, arguing that Project Meridian is operating as a federal advisory committee in violation of the Federal Advisory Committee Act and asking the court to stop it from operating until it complies.
[01]Public Citizen
The 37-page complaint by CREW, Public Citizen and the Project On Government Oversight against the Defense Department, Secretary Pete Hegseth and Under Secretary Emil Michael, posted on the Public Citizen website. It asks the court to declare that Project Meridian is a federal advisory committee operating in violation of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. It states the plaintiffs' allegations, which the defendants have not yet answered.
Complaint, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington v. U.S. Department of Defense, No. 1:26-cv-03856 (D.D.C. filed Nov. 2, 2026), ECF 1 · Public CitizenECF 1, introduction (paragraphs 1 to 9) and Project Meridian facts (paragraphs 46 to 58)[03]Public Citizen
The plaintiffs' joint announcement of the lawsuit, posted on the Public Citizen website, with statements from CREW president Donald K. Sherman, Public Citizen co-president Robert Weissman and POGO interim executive director Isabel Munilla.
New Lawsuit Challenges Hegseth's Illegal 'Future of Warfare' Committee · Public CitizenStatements by Donald K. Sherman, Robert Weissman and Isabel Munilla
Claims
Claims separate what was said from what is contested. Follow each source for the original wording and context.
What's disputed
Disputed claim
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
Project Meridian is a federal advisory committee under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, and the Defense Department created and runs it without the charter, public notice, open meetings and records, and fairly balanced membership the law requires.
What is disputed
CREW, Public Citizen and POGO make this argument in their Nov. 2, 2026 complaint. The department has described MITRE as responsible for the study's analysis and recommendations. We could not locate a response from the department to the lawsuit as of Nov. 3, 2026.
Sources (2)
- Complaint, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington v. U.S. Department of Defense, No. 1:26-cv-03856 (D.D.C. filed Nov. 2, 2026), ECF 1 · Public CitizenECF 1, introduction (paragraphs 1 to 9) and Project Meridian facts (paragraphs 46 to 58)
- New Lawsuit Challenges Hegseth's Illegal 'Future of Warfare' Committee · Public CitizenStatements by Donald K. Sherman, Robert Weissman and Isabel Munilla
Disputed claim
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and other Project Meridian members have substantial financial interests in the outcome of the study's recommendations.
What is disputed
The plaintiffs point to Musk's and Luckey's leadership of major defense contractors. In October, a Defense Department spokesperson told NPR that MITRE is responsible for the analysis and recommendations and applies conflict-of-interest safeguards.
Sources (2)
- Complaint, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington v. U.S. Department of Defense, No. 1:26-cv-03856 (D.D.C. filed Nov. 2, 2026), ECF 1 · Public CitizenECF 1, introduction (paragraphs 1 to 9) and Project Meridian facts (paragraphs 46 to 58)
- Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey's new Pentagon roles raise ethics worries · NPRDefense Department spokesperson statement; Richard Painter interview
Response record
Responses
Choose one response filter, or select All responses to see the full record.
5 responses. Newest first.
Donald K. ShermanPresident of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a plaintiff, in the plaintiffs' joint announcement posted on the Public Citizen website Before this statement
In the plaintiffs' joint announcement, Sherman says the Defense Department is legally barred from getting advice in secret from defense contractors with enormous potential conflicts of interest, and that this is exactly what Project Meridian is doing.
"The Federal Advisory Committee Act sets clear requirements about transparency and avoiding conflicts of interest, and Project Meridian must either comply or stop operating."
CondemnedResponding to: Project Meridian is a federal advisory committee under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, and the Defense Department created and runs it without the charter, public notice, open meetings and records, and fairly balanced membership the law requires.
Full statement and sources
Sherman says the Federal Advisory Committee Act sets clear transparency and conflict-of-interest requirements and that Project Meridian must either comply with them or stop operating.
After the statement
The announcement then quotes Public Citizen co-president Robert Weissman, who says Project Meridian would outsource the design of grand military strategy to Musk and Luckey.
New Lawsuit Challenges Hegseth's Illegal 'Future of Warfare' Committee · Public CitizenStatements by Donald K. Sherman, Robert Weissman and Isabel MunillaWhy this label?
The reference point is the Defense Department's creation and operation of Project Meridian with Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich at its head, which the plaintiffs say violates federal advisory committee law and critics say carries conflicts of interest. Sherman says the department is getting secret advice from contractors with large potential conflicts and that the panel must comply with the law or shut down, a direct criticism of how it was set up.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Public CitizenRobert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen, a plaintiff, in the plaintiffs' joint announcementDirectly involvedBefore this statement
Weissman says Project Meridian would outsource the design of grand military strategy to two extremist Pentagon contractors, Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey, and predicts they will recommend more spending, much more spending, on AI-enabled weaponry.
"That would simultaneously make the world more dangerous and starve funding for domestic and human needs. The law demands balance on advisory committees, precisely to prevent connected insiders like Musk and Luckey from writing policy at the expense of the public."
CondemnedResponding to: Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and other Project Meridian members have substantial financial interests in the outcome of the study's recommendations.
Full statement and sources
Weissman says the spending he expects Project Meridian to recommend would make the world more dangerous and starve domestic needs, and that the law requires balance on advisory committees to keep connected insiders like Musk and Luckey from writing policy.
After the statement
The announcement then quotes Isabel Munilla, interim executive director of the Project On Government Oversight, who says the panel is dominated by people who stand to profit from its work.
New Lawsuit Challenges Hegseth's Illegal 'Future of Warfare' Committee · Public CitizenStatements by Donald K. Sherman, Robert Weissman and Isabel MunillaWhy this label?
The reference point is the Defense Department's creation and operation of Project Meridian with Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich at its head, which the plaintiffs say violates federal advisory committee law and critics say carries conflicts of interest. Weissman criticizes putting Musk and Luckey in charge of the study and says the law's balance requirement exists to prevent exactly that.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Project On Government OversightIsabel Munilla, interim executive director of the Project On Government Oversight, a plaintiff, in the plaintiffs' joint announcementDirectly involved Before this statement
Munilla says the federal government should not outsource its vision on the future of warfare to a panel dominated by individuals who stand to profit from it, and that the weapons industry has long benefited from outsized influence over the Pentagon.
"Stacking Project Meridian with industry leaders will further skew national security policy toward corporate priorities, and away from the public interest."
CondemnedResponding to: Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and other Project Meridian members have substantial financial interests in the outcome of the study's recommendations.
Full statement and sources
Munilla says filling Project Meridian with industry leaders will push national security policy further toward corporate priorities and away from the public interest.
After the statement
She adds that the public cannot afford more wasteful defense spending and that the committee must follow the law and add independent public interest representatives.
New Lawsuit Challenges Hegseth's Illegal 'Future of Warfare' Committee · Public CitizenStatements by Donald K. Sherman, Robert Weissman and Isabel MunillaWhy this label?
The reference point is the Defense Department's creation and operation of Project Meridian with Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich at its head, which the plaintiffs say violates federal advisory committee law and critics say carries conflicts of interest. Munilla criticizes the panel's makeup as dominated by people who stand to profit and says it will skew policy toward corporate priorities.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
United States Department of DefenseSpokesperson for the Department of Defense, in a statement to NPRDirectly involvedBefore this statement
NPR reports that Hegseth directed the department's chief technology officer, Emil Michael, to commission Project Meridian through the MITRE Corporation, a nonprofit that manages federally funded research across the country.
"MITRE is responsible for the analysis and recommendations, and will evaluate all inputs with technical rigor while applying appropriate conflict-of-interest and information safeguards"
Defended or excusedResponding to: Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and other Project Meridian members have substantial financial interests in the outcome of the study's recommendations.
Full statement and sources
A Defense Department spokesperson tells NPR that MITRE is responsible for Project Meridian's analysis and recommendations and will evaluate all inputs with technical rigor while applying conflict-of-interest and information safeguards.
After the statement
The spokesperson adds that the effort will examine the technologies and operational concepts needed to sustain U.S. military advantage over a 10 to 20 year horizon. NPR reports that the department did not respond to questions about Musk's and Luckey's potential conflicts of interest.
Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey's new Pentagon roles raise ethics worries · NPRDefense Department spokesperson statement; Richard Painter interviewWhy this label?
The reference point is the Defense Department's creation and operation of Project Meridian with Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich at its head, which the plaintiffs say violates federal advisory committee law and critics say carries conflicts of interest. The statement presents the arrangement as protected from conflicts: MITRE, not the co-leads, is responsible for the analysis and recommendations and applies conflict-of-interest safeguards. It describes the study's structure favorably rather than engaging the critics, and NPR reports the department did not answer questions about Musk's and Luckey's potential conflicts.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Richard PainterProfessor of corporate law at the University of Minnesota and former chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, in an interview with NPRBefore this statement
NPR reports Painter's concern that Musk and Luckey's study would be guided by their own financial interests. He says they all want to sell stuff.
"So if we go into it understanding that [Musk], like all the other contractors, he wants to make a lot of money selling AI to the Defense Department. Whatever he proposes, but it's not like he's doing it as a neutral public service."
CondemnedResponding to: Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and other Project Meridian members have substantial financial interests in the outcome of the study's recommendations.
Full statement and sources
Painter says Musk, like the other contractors, wants to make a lot of money selling AI to the Defense Department, and that whatever he proposes, he is not doing it as a neutral public service.
After the statement
NPR then quotes a former senior Defense Department official, speaking anonymously, who says it is a massive conflict of interest.
Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey's new Pentagon roles raise ethics worries · NPRDefense Department spokesperson statement; Richard Painter interviewWhy this label?
The reference point is the Defense Department's creation and operation of Project Meridian with Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich at its head, which the plaintiffs say violates federal advisory committee law and critics say carries conflicts of interest. Painter criticizes Musk's role, saying the study would be shaped by the financial interests of someone who sells to the department.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Sources
(3)
Original text
Complaint, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington v. U.S. Department of Defense, No. 1:26-cv-03856 (D.D.C. filed Nov. 2, 2026), ECF 1
Relevant passage: ECF 1, introduction (paragraphs 1 to 9) and Project Meridian facts (paragraphs 46 to 58)
About this source
The 37-page complaint by CREW, Public Citizen and the Project On Government Oversight against the Defense Department, Secretary Pete Hegseth and Under Secretary Emil Michael, posted on the Public Citizen website. It asks the court to declare that Project Meridian is a federal advisory committee operating in violation of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. It states the plaintiffs' allegations, which the defendants have not yet answered.
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey's new Pentagon roles raise ethics worries
Relevant passage: Defense Department spokesperson statement; Richard Painter interview
About this source
NPR report on conflict-of-interest questions about Project Meridian's leaders, with a written statement from a Defense Department spokesperson about MITRE's role and comments from ethics lawyer Richard Painter and unnamed current and former officials.
- Author
- Katie McQue, Tom Bowman
- Published
- Accessed
Official statement
New Lawsuit Challenges Hegseth's Illegal 'Future of Warfare' Committee
Relevant passage: Statements by Donald K. Sherman, Robert Weissman and Isabel Munilla
About this source
The plaintiffs' joint announcement of the lawsuit, posted on the Public Citizen website, with statements from CREW president Donald K. Sherman, Public Citizen co-president Robert Weissman and POGO interim executive director Isabel Munilla.
- Published
- Accessed
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- Watchdog groups sue the Pentagon over Project Meridian, saying the Musk and Luckey 'Future of Warfare' panel breaks federal advisory committee law
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The Dispute Index. "Watchdog groups sue the Pentagon over Project Meridian, saying the Musk and Luckey 'Future of Warfare' panel breaks federal advisory committee law". First published: 2026-11-03. Last updated: 2026-11-03. https://disputeindex.com/cases/watchdog-groups-sue-pentagon-over-project-meridian