Latest news with #InstituteOfPeace
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Elon Musk's DOGE nerd army left 'drugs, graffiti, roaches and rats' behind after taking over Institute of Peace
A group of bureaucrats at the Institute of Peace claim their building was ravaged by billionaire Elon Musk 's DOGE agents. George E. Moose, acting president and CEO of the institute, filed an affidavit testifying that employees found it damaged when they returned after DOGE took it over. A photograph of marijuana was posted by Economist reporter Daniel Knowles on the Bluesky social media platform. He said it was provided to him by someone from the institute who found it in the garbage after DOGE left. 'Among other things, they reported evidence of rats and roaches in the building. Vermin were not a problem prior to March 17, 2025,' Moose wrote, adding that employees also discovered 'water leaks, damage to the garage door, and missing ceiling tiles in multiple places in the building.' He also reported evidence that 'someone had scrawled graffiti on one of the outside spaces.' Social media posts showed that the building logo was also removed, but was put back up after officials returned. 'One of the first things DOGE did upon entering the U.S. Institute of Peace was tear down the logo. . . .and one of the first things we did upon recovering the building, was put it back up. It is a heck of a logo, packing a ton of history, culture, and aspiration into a small symbol. Hopefully the institute survives to continue to bring all that to life,' wrote Keith Mines on LinkedIn. The White House did not return a request for comment. The Institute of Peace was founded as an independent, national institution funded by Congress and was established in 1984. The battle over the Institute of Peace is considered one of the most dramatic attempts by DOGE to take control of an organization. Entrenched employees refused to leave the building when ordered to do so. President Trump first signed an executive order that specifically ordered the Institute of Peace reduce its size to the statutory minimum, prompting his administration to fire 11 of the 14 board members. The remaining board members appointed Kenneth Jackson acting president and fired Moose. When agency officials refused to grant DOGE officials access to the building, they returned with FBI agents to gain entry. The White House condemned behavior by Institute of Peace employees after the standoff, describing them as 'rogue bureaucrats.' 'They barricaded the doors. They also disabled telephone lines, internet connections and other IT infrastructure within the building. They distributed fliers internally, encouraging each other to basically prevent these individuals from accessing the building,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at the time. 'It's a resistance from bureaucrats who don't want to see change in this city. President Trump was elected on an overwhelming mandate to seek change and implement change. And this is unacceptable behavior.' DOGE employees said the standoff with the Institute of Peace was among the most contentious of its fights with Washington bureaucracy. 'It was by far the least peaceful agency that we've worked with, ironically,' one DOGE agent told Fox News host Jesse Watters in an interview, revealing they found 'loaded guns' in the building. DOGE employees told Fox News they found spending on private jet flights, and a $130,000 contract with the Taliban for 'generic services.' They also said that the chief accountant had deleted over a terabyte of accounting records, which they were able to restore 'That's the definition of a cover up,' Musk said. D.C. federal judge Beryl Howell ruled in May that the Institute of Peace is not part of the executive branch and so the Trump administration illegally removed the president of the organization and staff, while 'probably terrorizing employees and staff at the institute.' 'The President's efforts here to take over an organization outside of those bounds, contrary to statute established by Congress and by acts of force and threat using local and federal law enforcement officers, 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,' Howell wrote.
The Verge
4 days ago
- Business
- The Verge
Despite Musk's stated departure from DOGE (and attempts to
Musk and DOGE don't seem to be going anywhere. talk up his focus on his businesses), sources tell Wired that DOGE-related efforts across federal agencies are 'escalating.' President Trump confirmed on Friday that Musk's 'really not leaving,' either, as the tech billionaire says he expects 'to continue to provide advice.' Maybe he should provide a little advice about pest control next, based on the condition the DOGE team appears to have left the United States Institute of Peace's headquarters in.
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.
