The Meeting That Disappeared
When Elon Musk’s Boring Company, best known for its underground transportation tunnels, was cited for serious safety violations in Nevada, it set off alarm bells across state agencies. But what happened next has drawn even more scrutiny: according to internal documents obtained by reporters, a key meeting between company executives and the governor’s staff was mysteriously deleted from public records.
The incident has sparked fresh debate about the state’s oversight of major corporate projects and whether politically connected companies are receiving special treatment.
“There’s a clear pattern here,” said Derek Kuhlman, a labor safety attorney based in Las Vegas. “The citations were real, the violations were serious, and the follow-up meeting should have been part of the public record. Its deletion raises legitimate concerns about transparency.”
Boring Co.’s Safety Warnings
The Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued multiple citations to the Boring Company earlier this year, citing unsafe working conditions, inadequate ventilation, and improper use of heavy machinery at one of its tunnel construction sites near the Las Vegas Convention Center Loop expansion.
The violations were categorized as “serious,” carrying potential fines exceeding $100,000. Several workers allegedly reported being exposed to toxic fumes during underground operations.
In response, Boring Co. said it “took immediate corrective action,” emphasizing that “employee safety remains a top priority.”
However, records show that within days of the citations, senior state officials, including members of the governor’s economic development office, met privately with Boring Co. representatives.
The Governor’s Office Steps In
The governor’s office confirmed that a meeting took place, but denied any improper influence. “The Governor’s team routinely meets with major employers to ensure compliance while supporting job creation,” said a spokesperson. “No preferential treatment was given.”
Still, watchdog groups argue the optics are troubling. “When the state’s top officials meet privately with a company under active investigation, it undermines public trust,” said Mary Beth McCaffrey, policy director at the Nevada Integrity Council.
The Boring Co. has been a centerpiece of Nevada’s pitch to attract high-tech employers and position Las Vegas as a testbed for Musk’s infrastructure vision. The company operates multiple tunnel systems under Clark County, including one connecting the Resorts World complex with the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Records Vanish from Public Database
The most alarming revelation came weeks later, when public records advocates discovered that the official calendar entry and email correspondence referencing the meeting had been deleted from the state’s scheduling database.
When pressed, the governor’s office cited a “technical error” in its public record system, claiming that the deletion was “unintentional and under review.”
But metadata analysis shared with Millionaire MNL News by a state whistleblower suggests otherwise: the deletion occurred two days after journalists submitted a public records request about the meeting.
“This isn’t just a glitch,” said McCaffrey. “It’s part of a larger pattern of selective transparency when politically connected companies are involved.”
A Familiar Pattern of Oversight Gaps
This is not the first time the Boring Company has faced questions about its operations. In 2021, a Las Vegas tunnel fire incident prompted an internal safety review that found lapses in emergency response readiness.
Nationally, the company’s projects in Texas and California have also drawn complaints over workplace conditions and incomplete environmental assessments. Critics say Musk’s companies often push regulatory limits in the name of speed and innovation.
“Boring Co. represents the best and worst of tech disruption,” said Jeff Sonnenfeld, senior associate dean at Yale School of Management. “It’s visionary but reckless, a company that often treats rules as negotiable.”
Musk’s Response, and Silence from the State
Elon Musk has not commented directly on the Nevada citations, but in a post on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, “Tunnels are inherently safer than surface transport, zero fatalities in our projects. That’s the fact.”
The Nevada OSHA investigation remains open, with no final settlement announced. Meanwhile, state officials have yet to provide a clear explanation for the missing meeting records, promising an internal review “to ensure accountability and record integrity.”
Transparency advocates are skeptical. “When evidence of government-business coordination vanishes, it’s rarely an accident,” said Kuhlman. “The public deserves to know what happened behind those closed doors.”
The Broader Implications
For Nevada, the controversy cuts to the heart of its economic identity. The state has spent years branding itself as a pro-business innovation hub, courting billionaires and high-growth companies with tax incentives and fast-track approvals.
But that approach may be colliding with the realities of oversight. “You can’t build a future economy on opacity,” McCaffrey said. “Accountability isn’t anti-business, it’s the foundation of sustainable growth.”
As Nevada’s ethics commission begins a preliminary review, one thing is clear: the deleted records have become a flashpoint in the state’s struggle to balance economic ambition with public trust.
