Back in February, President Trump nominated Jonathan Morrison to be the new administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This organization overlooks complaints and investigations related to vehicles in the US, issues recalls and provides other resources for owners, and helps set and enforce Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). That includes figuring out what to do about automated driving tech, which Tesla largely pioneered and is now expanding rapidly throughout the auto industry.

This week, Morrison faced a Congressional panel for questioning, where it was revealed he has a non-disclosure agreement with Apple that makes it impossible for him to answer some critical questions. If you recall, Apple was working on a driverless car that was allegedly brimming with Chinese technology. The plot thickens.

Setting The Record Sort-Of Straight

According to a transcript of the discussion with Morrison earlier this week posted to X.com by Reuters reporter David Shepardson, the nominee was specifically asked about his prior four years of working for the Special Projects Group at Apple, and whether he worked on the reported “Project Titan” vehicle development program that was supposedly shut down in 2024. He declined to answer with any details, saying that he is “subject to non-disclosure requirements that do not allow me to discuss non-public work I performed at Apple.”

According to the transcript, and despite the first question being explicitly about Apple, Morrison went on to confirm that he previously informed the committee that he was subject to non-disclosure agreements with Apple. He went on to also confirm that he had not yet requested to be released from any NDA signed with Apple, but offered that he would “work with the Committee, if confirmed” to clarify any questions. Morrison went on to clarify that he would “consult with NHTSA’s designated ethics official prior to any engagement” that could have implications for Apple.

A Past At NHTSA

Morrison, all things considered, seems otherwise extremely qualified to lead the Administration, considering he has already served as Chief Counsel at NHTSA during President Trump’s first administration, prior to his time at Apple. He already has three years and three months on the clock with the government. Before his first stint at NHTSA, Morrison was also head of legal and regulatory affairs for the California New Car Dealers Association for eight years, working with some of the strictest vehicle laws and regulations in the country.

It seems like there was an effort to rush Morrison’s nomination through this week, with the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation voting 16 to 12 in favor of appointing the new administrator. With that approval, Morrison now waits on the full US Senate to confirm him, though an expected recess may now delay that until later this year. The current acting administrator is Ann Carlson.

It’s unclear what Morrison’s potential role at Apple could have involved Project Titan, though it seems incredibly likely he was part of the project at some point since it was in development for at least ten years. Nothing was ever teased or mentioned to the public; some reports indicated it would be an enclosed screen-heavy cabin in a self-driving package, likely with an all-electric powertrain.

Source: David Shepardson/Reuters