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The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
Musk's DOGE takeover of Institute of Peace brought roaches and rats to D.C. headquarters, court docs say
The head of the United States Institute of Peace says its Washington, D.C. headquarters near the Lincoln Memorial was left to rot after billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency took it over in March, leaving water damage, graffiti — and worst of all, an infestation of roaches and rats. After DOGE replaced the independent, fully government-funded nonprofit's board with MAGA loyalists and fired the entire staff, Musk's crew left it with a 'level of staffing… woefully insufficient to properly protect and maintain' the $500 million Moshe Safdie-designed concrete-and-glass structure, according to a May 23 affidavit filed in D.C. federal court by USIP President and CEO George Moose. 'Vermin were not a problem prior to March 17, 2025, when USIP was actively using and maintaining the building,' Moose's affidavit states. Moose's affidavit, which is part of a broader legal action by USIP in an attempt to regain full control of the organization, was first reported on Friday in the weekly Court Watch newsletter. The office, which is congressionally funded but is not part of the U.S. government, was established in 1984 by Ronald Reagan with a stated mission to advance international stability and conflict resolution. Still, shortly after he was sworn in for his second term as president, Donald Trump issued an executive order taking aim at USIP as 'unnecessary.' On Friday, March 14, Moose, a career diplomat who served as U.S. Ambassador to Benin and Senegal in West Africa, was abruptly terminated by the White House. He went back to the office on Monday and was removed from the USIP offices by police and replaced by Kenneth Jackson, a DOGE administrator, a move Moose immediately vowed to fight. Speaking to reporters outside after he was shown the door, Moose dubbed USIP's unilateral annexation 'an illegal takeover by elements of the executive branch of a private nonprofit corporation,' saying it had been 'very clear that there was a desire on the part of the administration to dismantle a lot of what we call foreign assistance.' On May 19, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that the DOGE seizure of USIP was unlawful, and ordered Moose and his staff reinstated. In handing down her opinion, Howell said Trump's 'efforts here to take over an organization… represented a gross usurpation of power and a way of conducting government affairs that unnecessarily traumatized the committed leadership and employees of USIP, who deserved better.' The following day, Moose became concerned after hearing from USIP employees that the building's condition had been allowed to deteriorate, his affidavit states. With the help of his attorneys, and following Judge Howell's order, Moose arranged to get back into USIP headquarters on May 21. 'When my team and I arrived, the only persons in the building were two security guards and a small cleaning crew,' he says in the affidavit. 'In my experience, that level of staffing is woefully insufficient to properly protect and maintain the building.' However, Moose told reporters that, at first glance, nothing immediately seemed amiss. '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.' Yet, the following day, a more thorough inspection turned up myriad problems, according to Moose's affidavit. 'On May 22, members of my staff, including our chief of security and our contract building engineer, spent the day surveying and documenting the condition of the building, to include photographs,' he stated. 'They reported evidence of rats and roaches in the building,' which he said was a first. Moose says in his affidavit that staff reported 'other deficiencies in the maintenance of the building, including the failure to maintain vehicle barriers and the cooling tower, water leaks, damage to the garage door, and missing ceiling tiles in multiple places in the building (which I have been told suggest likely water damage).' 'In addition,' the affidavit contends, 'I learned from my team that sometime in the past several days, before we regained control of the property and assumed control for security, someone had scrawled graffiti on one of the outside spaces.' This occurred, according to the affidavit, because 'the building ha[d] been essentially abandoned for many weeks,' during which time DOGE left USIP HQ with 'only a few security guards on site, with no perimeter patrols.' According to Moose's affidavit, he 'immediately resumed' his duties at USIP, and reached out to staff and board members to begin working there again. It says USIP has once again assumed control of their building, has engaged a private security firm to guard the premises, and has taken over responsibility for the building's maintenance. At the same time, Musk is leaving DOGE as his 130-day tenure as a 'special government employee' comes to an end. Trump and DOGE have appealed Howell's ruling. Moose did not respond on Friday to The Independent 's requests for comment, nor did the attorneys representing him and USIP in court. Messages seeking comment from Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Carilli, DOGE's lawyer in the case, and the White House, also went unanswered.
TechCrunch
a day ago
- General
- TechCrunch
DOGE left United States Institute of Peace office with water damage, rats, and roaches
The chief executive of the United States Institute of Peace says Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency left the nonprofit's Washington, D.C. headquarters in disarray, full of water damage, rats, and roaches, according to a new sworn statement first reported by Court Watch. The statement from the executive, George Moose, comes just a few days after a federal judge ruled that DOGE's takeover of the nonprofit was illegal. And this week, Musk has claimed he is stepping away from DOGE, although he and President Trump have said he will continue to advise the administration. DOGE started its takeover of USIP in mid-March after a standoff that saw the nonprofit call the police on Musk's government workers. Moose said at the time that DOGE staff had 'broken into' the USIP headquarters in Washington, despite the fact that the nonprofit is not part of the executive branch and isn't subject to the White House's whims. 'It was very clear that there was a desire on the part of the administration to dismantle a lot of what we call foreign assistance, and we are part of that family,' Moose said at the time, referencing the Trump administration's and DOGE's dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development. Moose initially said the nonprofit's headquarters appeared to be in decent shape at a press conference on May 21 where he discussed the judge's ruling. But one day later, according to the statement, members of Moose's staff spent a day surveying the building and documenting the problems they found. Moose wrote in his statement that, ahead of the judge's ruling, the headquarters had been 'essentially abandoned for many weeks' before USIP regained control. He said that DOGE had failed to 'maintain and secure the building,' including 'evidence of rats and roaches.' 'Vermin were not a problem prior to March 17, 2025, when USIP was actively using and maintaining the building,' Moose wrote. Techcrunch event Save now through June 4 for TechCrunch Sessions: AI Save $300 on your ticket to TC Sessions: AI—and get 50% off a second. Hear from leaders at OpenAI, Anthropic, Khosla Ventures, and more during a full day of expert insights, hands-on workshops, and high-impact networking. These low-rate deals disappear when the doors open on June 5. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | REGISTER NOW Staff also reported to Moose that the building's vehicle barriers were poorly maintained, and that they spotted water leaks, and 'missing ceiling tiles in multiple places in the building (which I have been told suggest likely water damage).' Now, Moose said USIP has 'engaged a private security firm to guard the building and premises' and 'taken over responsibility for the building's maintenance.'
Arab News
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Judge denies stay request, lets ruling stand blocking DOGE efforts to shut down peace institute
WASHINGTON: A federal judge on Friday denied the Trump administration's request that she stay her May 19 ruling that returned control of the US Institute of Peace back to its acting president and board. In a seven-page ruling, US District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell said the government did not meet any of the four requirements for a stay, including a 'strong showing' of whether its request could succeed on the merits. Howell reiterated her finding that the Institute is not part of the executive branch and is therefore beyond President Donald Trump's authority to fire its board. She added that the firings also did not follow the law for how a board member of the Institute might be removed by the president. Most of the board was fired in March during a takeover of the Institute by the Department of Government Efficiency. That action touched off the firing of its acting president, former ambassador George Moose, and subsequently most of the staff. The organization's headquarters, funded in part by donors, was turned over to the General Services Administration. In her ruling May 19, Howell concluded that the board was fired illegally and all actions that followed that were therefore 'null and void.' In Friday's ruling Howell also rejected the government's argument that the organization had to fall into one of the three branches of government and since it does not legislate, nor is it part of the judicial branch, it must be part of the executive branch. 'As the Court has previously pointed out, other entities also fall outside of this tripartite structure,' she wrote. Howell also said that the government did not 'describe any cognizable harm they will experience without a stay, let alone an irreparable one.' However, 'as plaintiffs explain, every day that goes by without the relief this Court ordered, the job of putting (USIP) back together by rehiring employees and stemming the dissipation of USIP's goodwill and reputation for independence will become that much harder.' Moose reentered the headquarters Wednesday without incident along with the organization's outside counsel, George Foote. The White House was not immediately available for comment. In requesting the stay the government also requested a two-business-day stay to allow for an appeal to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Howell denied that request.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge denies stay request, lets ruling stand blocking DOGE efforts to shut down peace institute
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday denied the Trump administration's request that she stay her May 19 ruling that returned control of the U.S. Institute of Peace back to its acting president and board. In a seven-page ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell said the government did not meet any of the four requirements for a stay, including a 'strong showing' of whether its request could succeed on the merits. Howell reiterated her finding that the Institute is not part of the executive branch and is therefore beyond President Donald Trump's authority to fire its board. She added that the firings also did not follow the law for how a board member of the Institute might be removed by the president. Most of the board was fired in March during a takeover of the Institute by the Department of Government Efficiency. That action touched off the firing of its acting president, former ambassador George Moose, and subsequently most of the staff. The organization's headquarters, funded in part by donors, was turned over to the General Services Administration. In her ruling May 19, Howell concluded that the board was fired illegally and all actions that followed that were therefore 'null and void.' In Friday's ruling Howell also rejected the government's argument that the organization had to fall into one of the three branches of government and since it does not legislate, nor is it part of the judicial branch, it must be part of the executive branch. 'As the Court has previously pointed out, other entities also fall outside of this tripartite structure,' she wrote. Howell also said that the government did not 'describe any cognizable harm they will experience without a stay, let alone an irreparable one.' However, 'as plaintiffs explain, every day that goes by without the relief this Court ordered, the job of putting (USIP) back together by rehiring employees and stemming the dissipation of USIP's goodwill and reputation for independence will become that much harder.' Moose reentered the headquarters Wednesday without incident along with the organization's outside counsel, George Foote. The White House was not immediately available for comment. In requesting the stay the government also requested a two-business-day stay to allow for an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Howell denied that request.
The Independent
24-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Judge denies stay request, lets ruling stand blocking DOGE efforts to shut down peace institute
A federal judge on Friday denied the Trump administration's request that she stay her May 19 ruling that returned control of the U.S. Institute of Peace back to its acting president and board. In a seven-page ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell said the government did not meet any of the four requirements for a stay, including a 'strong showing' of whether its request could succeed on the merits. Howell reiterated her finding that the Institute is not part of the executive branch and is therefore beyond President Donald Trump's authority to fire its board. She added that the firings also did not follow the law for how a board member of the Institute might be removed by the president. Most of the board was fired in March during a takeover of the Institute by the Department of Government Efficiency. That action touched off the firing of its acting president, former ambassador George Moose, and subsequently most of the staff. The organization's headquarters, funded in part by donors, was turned over to the General Services Administration. In her ruling May 19, Howell concluded that the board was fired illegally and all actions that followed that were therefore 'null and void.' In Friday's ruling Howell also rejected the government's argument that the organization had to fall into one of the three branches of government and since it does not legislate, nor is it part of the judicial branch, it must be part of the executive branch. 'As the Court has previously pointed out, other entities also fall outside of this tripartite structure,' she wrote. Howell also said that the government did not 'describe any cognizable harm they will experience without a stay, let alone an irreparable one.' However, 'as plaintiffs explain, every day that goes by without the relief this Court ordered, the job of putting (USIP) back together by rehiring employees and stemming the dissipation of USIP's goodwill and reputation for independence will become that much harder.' Moose reentered the headquarters Wednesday without incident along with the organization's outside counsel, George Foote. The White House was not immediately available for comment. In requesting the stay the government also requested a two-business-day stay to allow for an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Howell denied that request.
