Institute of Peace reclaims its headquarters after court win over Musk's
cost-cutting team
[May 22, 2025]
By GARY FIELDS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Institute of Peace retook control of its
headquarters Wednesday, two days after a federal judge said the firing
of its board and employees by Elon Musk's Department of Government
Efficiency was illegal.
The institute's acting president, George Moose, entered the
organization’s headquarters with private security and the institute's
outside attorney for the first time since being escorted off the
premises during the DOGE takeover. Moose and most of the institute's
board were fired in March, part of the mass slashing of the federal
workforce spearheaded by Musk.
The institute and many of its board members filed a lawsuit against the
Trump administration soon after, seeking to prevent their removal and
stop DOGE from taking over its operations. U.S. District Court Judge
Beryl A. Howell's opinion on Monday reversed DOGE's actions.
Speaking after a short examination of the headquarters, Moose said all
appeared to be in order.
“We just did a quick walk-through — externally, visibly, things look to
be in pretty good shape,” he said. “I didn’t see anything, any
destruction, if you will, no damage that I can see that is visible.”
Moose, a former ambassador and career member of the U.S. Foreign
Service, said a team of employees from human resources, technology and
finance would be in the building Thursday getting the nonprofit ready to
welcome back its workforce. He expected to bring back all the staff who
want to return.
In an email Wednesday, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly did not
comment on workers returning to the building, but signaled that the
administration may challenge the decision.
“President Trump is right to reduce failed, useless entities like USIP
to their statutory minimum, and the rogue judge’s attempt to impede on
the separation of powers will not be the last say on the matter,” she
said.
The administration filed a motion of appeal Wednesday evening and
requested a stay of the judge’s ruling while that appeal is considered,
arguing in part that Howell “erred” in concluding that the institution’s
functions were not executive functions.
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U.S. Institute of Peace acting President George Moose talks during a
news conference outside the Institute, Wednesday, May 21, 2025 in
Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
Agencies across the federal government have been slashed or
dismantled by Musk's DOGE team. Wednesday’s low-key scene at the
institute’s headquarters marked a rare moment when a DOGE-targeted
agency or organization has been able to begin reestablishing itself.
The judge's ruling said the Trump administration did not have
authority to unilaterally dismantle the institute, which was
established by Congress in 1984 as an independent organization that
would promote peace and seek to end conflicts around the world. It
was operating in more than two dozen conflict zones at the time
Musk's team took it over and shut it down.
The saga began when Trump issued an executive order in February that
targeted the institute and three other agencies for closure in an
effort to deliver on campaign promises to shrink the size of the
government. The first attempt by DOGE to take over the headquarters
led to a standoff. Members of Musk’s DOGE group returned days later
with the FBI and District of Columbia Metropolitan Police to help
them gain entry.
DOGE installed new leadership, ordered a mass firing of nearly all
the staff through their private emails, and handed over the
institute's headquarters to the General Services Administration.
The institute, concerned about liability and security of the
building in the aftermath of the judge's ruling, reached out to the
government attorneys earlier this week and again on Wednesday.
George Foote, the institute's outside attorney, said the exchange
was very smooth and orderly.
Moose said the goal now is to get back to the work the institute was
created to do 40 years ago and “projects, ideas that are, we
believe, of interest to the American people.”
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