Texas AG-elect to Musk: SpaceX-Tesla merger gets 'tremendous scrutiny'

> The incoming Texas attorney general is signaling he won't wave through a SpaceX-Tesla merger without a fight.

Johnson, who replaces Republican Ken Paxton as Texas's chief legal officer in January, made the comments in a Nov. 12 interview with Bloomberg. He said Musk has gotten a pass so far: **I think he's received a great deal of deference due to his alignment with the Republican Party and the tons of money he spent for the Republican Party.** And he made his intent plain: **I have no qualms about examining his relationships to the state.**

The AG-elect kept the fine print to himself — he didn't discuss specifics of any combination, and said his transition team hasn't been in touch with Musk. The door isn't slammed shut, though: **if Elon wants to talk, we can talk,** he told Bloomberg. SpaceX and Tesla didn't immediately respond to USA TODAY's requests for comment.

Both companies sit deep in Johnson's new jurisdiction. Tesla is headquartered in Austin, while SpaceX is based at Starbase, Texas, near Brownsville.

Merger chatter has been building for months. Barron's and Bloomberg both reported SpaceX and Tesla could eventually combine, with Bloomberg reporting in October that investors **widely expected** a deal. In November, Bloomberg reported an announcement could come as soon as December.

Johnson arrives with fresh political momentum — he's one of several Democrats who flipped statewide offices from Republicans on Nov. 3, the first time that's happened since the 1990s.