Whistleblower’s brakes cut after Elon Musk’s post on DOGE allegations

The former NLRB IT employee who disclosed alleged data misuse by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) discovered his car’s brake lines had been cut just hours after Musk amplified claims that the whistleblower’s allegations were false [1]. Berulis is now suing Musk for defamation, arguing Musk’s posts increased the risk of physical harm against him [1].

Key takeaways

• Daniel Berulis filed a whistleblower complaint on 14 April 2025 alleging DOGE compromised NLRB data and noted suspicious Russian IP logins [2].
• A threatening note with drone‑taken photos of his dog was left on his door before he went public [1][2].
• On 20 April 2025, Berulis’ car failed to slow at a stop sign; investigators found the brake lines cut and the driver‑side airbag sensor removed, with wires spliced to hide the tampering [1][2].
• Elon Musk reshared a post calling the whistleblower claim “deliberately false,” which Berulis says led to online calls for his prosecution and heightened danger [1][2].
• Berulis has filed a defamation suit alleging Musk’s statements put him at risk of violence; the case remains pending [1].

Whistleblower complaint and escalating threats

Daniel Berulis, an IT staffer at the National Labor Relations Board, lodged a formal whistleblower complaint with Congress on 14 April 2025, asserting that the newly created Department of Government Efficiency had accessed and potentially exfiltrated sensitive NLRB data, including login attempts traced to a Russian IP address [2]. The next day he appeared in an NPR interview, where he also disclosed that a note bearing photos of his dog—apparently taken by a drone—had been taped to his door, heightening his fear of retaliation [1][2].

Five days after the NPR story aired, Berulis drove to Maryland to visit his uncle. Within minutes of leaving his home, his vehicle failed to decelerate at a stop sign, crashing into the sign. A subsequent police report revealed that the brake lines had been deliberately cut and that the driver‑side airbag sensor had been removed, with the remaining wires spliced to prevent the car’s safety system from alerting him [1][2]. A mechanic confirmed the tampering, noting that the modifications would also suppress limp‑mode warnings [2].

Musk’s posts and the defamation lawsuit

On the evening of 19 April 2025, Elon Musk reshared an X post from right‑wing influencer Mario Nawfal that claimed DOGE had been “cleared” and suggested the Department of Justice should investigate Berulis. Musk added his own comment that “Filing a deliberately false whistleblower claim is a serious crime,” a statement that was subsequently echoed by other users demanding prosecution, jail, or even physical harm—one user wrote, “Snitches get stitches” [1][2].

Berulis alleges that Musk’s amplification of the claim and the ensuing online harassment directly increased the risk to his safety, prompting him to file a defamation suit in Washington, D.C., on 17 April 2025. The complaint asserts that Musk’s posts implied Berulis had committed a crime, leading to threats that may have motivated the brake‑line sabotage [1]. Musk and X have not responded to requests for comment, and a report to X’s trust‑and‑safety team concluded the post did not violate platform policies [2].