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The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
Musk's DOGE took control of the U.S. Institute of Peace. It 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, resulting in water damage, graffiti – and, worse yet, 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. The filing, 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.
The Independent
2 days 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.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Today in History: May 30, Trump found guilty on 34 felony charges
Today is Friday, May 30, the 150th day of 2025. There are 215 days left in the year. Today in history: On May 30, 2024, Donald Trump became the first former American president to be convicted of felony crimes as a New York jury found him guilty of all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex. Also on this date: In 1431, Joan of Arc, condemned as a heretic, was burned at the stake in Rouen, France. In 1911, the first Indianapolis 500 auto race was held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway; driver Ray Harroun won the race with an average speed of 74.6 mph (120 kph). In 1922, the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., was dedicated in a ceremony attended by President Warren G. Harding, Chief Justice William Howard Taft and Abraham Lincoln's surviving son, 78-year-old Robert Todd Lincoln. In 1935, Babe Ruth played in his last major league baseball game for the Boston Braves, leaving after the first inning of the first game of a double-header against the Philadelphia Phillies. (Ruth announced his retirement three days later.) In 1937, ten people were killed when police fired on steelworkers demonstrating near the Republic Steel plant in South Chicago. In 1971, the American space probe Mariner 9 blasted off from Cape Kennedy on a journey to Mars. In 1972, three members of the militant group known as the Japanese Red Army opened fire at Tel Aviv's Lod Airport, now Ben-Gurion Airport, killing 26 people. Two attackers died; the third was captured. In 2002, a solemn, wordless ceremony marked the end of the cleanup at ground zero in New York, 8 1/2 months after the terror attacks of September 11th brought down the World Trade Center's twin towers. In 2012, former Liberian President Charles Taylor was sentenced to 50 years in prison after being convicted on 11 counts of aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity at a trial at The Hague. In 2023, disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes was taken into custody at the Texas prison where she was sentenced to spend the next 11 years for overseeing an infamous blood-testing hoax. Today's Birthdays: Actor Keir Dullea is 89. Actor Stephen Tobolowsky is 74. Actor Colm Meaney is 72. Country singer Wynonna Judd is 61. Musician Tom Morello (Audioslave; Rage Against The Machine) is 61. Filmmaker Antoine Fuqua is 60. Actor-singer Idina Menzel is 54. Rapper-singer Cee Lo Green is 50.
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Today in History: 10 killed in Memorial Day Massacre of 1937
Today is Friday, May 30, the 150th day of 2025. There are 215 days left in the year. Today in history: On May 30, 1937, ten people were killed when police fired on steelworkers demonstrating near the Republic Steel plant in South Chicago. CLICK HERE to see the full Chicago Tribune front page from May 31, 1937 The history of the Southeast Side is instructive as students, others fight against General IronAlso on this date: In 1431, Joan of Arc, condemned as a heretic, was burned at the stake in Rouen, France. In 1911, the first Indianapolis 500 auto race was held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway; driver Ray Harroun won the race with an average speed of 74.6 mph. In 1922, the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., was dedicated in a ceremony attended by President Warren G. Harding, Chief Justice William Howard Taft and Abraham Lincoln's surviving son, 78-year-old Robert Todd Lincoln. In 1935, Babe Ruth played in his last major league baseball game for the Boston Braves, leaving after the first inning of the first game of a double-header against the Philadelphia Phillies. (Ruth announced his retirement three days later.) In 1971, the American space probe Mariner 9 blasted off from Cape Kennedy on a journey to Mars. In 1972, three members of the militant group known as the Japanese Red Army opened fire at Tel Aviv's Lod Airport, now Ben-Gurion Airport, killing 26 people. Two attackers died; the third was captured. In 2002, a solemn, wordless ceremony marked the end of the cleanup at ground zero in New York, 8 1/2 months after the terror attacks of September 11th brought down the World Trade Center's twin towers. In 2012, former Liberian President Charles Taylor was sentenced to 50 years in prison after being convicted on 11 counts of aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity at a trial at The Hague. In 2023, disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes was taken into custody at the Texas prison where she was sentenced to spend the next 11 years for overseeing an infamous blood-testing hoax. In 2024, Donald Trump became the first former American president to be convicted of felony crimes as a New York jury found him guilty of all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex. Today's Birthdays: Actor Keir Dullea is 89. Actor Stephen Tobolowsky is 74. Actor Colm Meaney is 72. Country singer Wynonna Judd is 61. Musician Tom Morello (Audioslave; Rage Against The Machine) is 61. Filmmaker Antoine Fuqua is 60. Actor-singer Idina Menzel is 54. Rapper-singer Cee Lo Green is 50.
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Today in History: May 30, Trump found guilty on 34 felony charges
In 1911, the first Indianapolis 500 auto race was held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway; driver Ray Harroun won the race with an average speed of 74.6 mph (120 kph). In 1922, the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., was dedicated in a ceremony attended by President Warren G. Harding, Chief Justice William Howard Taft, and Abraham Lincoln's surviving son, 78-year-old Robert Todd Lincoln. Advertisement In 1935, Babe Ruth played in his last major league baseball game for the Boston Braves, leaving after the first inning of the first game of a double-header against the Philadelphia Phillies. (Ruth announced his retirement three days later.) In 1937, ten people were killed when police fired on steelworkers demonstrating near the Republic Steel plant in South Chicago. In 1971, the American space probe Mariner 9 blasted off from Cape Kennedy on a journey to Mars. In 1972, three members of the militant group known as the Japanese Red Army opened fire at Tel Aviv's Lod Airport, now Ben-Gurion Airport, killing 26 people. Two attackers died; the third was captured. In 2002, a solemn, wordless ceremony marked the end of the cleanup at ground zero in New York, 8 1/2 months after the terror attacks of September 11 brought down the World Trade Center's twin towers. Advertisement In 2012, former Liberian President Charles Taylor was sentenced to 50 years in prison after being convicted on 11 counts of aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity at a trial at The Hague. In 2023, disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes was taken into custody at the Texas prison where she was sentenced to spend the next 11 years for overseeing an infamous blood-testing hoax. In 2024, PresidentTrump became the first former American president to be convicted of felony crimes as a New York jury found him guilty of all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex.
