A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, illegally took over the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), a congressionally funded nonprofit dedicated to conflict resolution. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, in a 102-page ruling on May 19, 2025, described the administration’s actions as a “gross usurpation of power,” using the seven shocking words: “a way of conducting government affairs” that “unnecessarily traumatized” USIP’s leadership and employees.
The ruling stems from a March 2025 incident where Trump fired most of USIP’s board and acting president George Moose, replacing them with DOGE-affiliated officials, including Kenneth Jackson as acting president. DOGE personnel, backed by law enforcement from the FBI, D.C. police, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, forcibly seized USIP’s Washington, D.C., headquarters, transferring its $500 million property to the General Services Administration (GSA) without compensation. Howell declared these actions, including the board’s removal, staff terminations, and asset transfers, “null and void,” ordering the reinstatement of ousted board members and Moose.
Howell’s decision hinges on USIP’s status as an independent nonprofit, not an executive branch agency, meaning Trump lacked authority to unilaterally dismantle it. The judge criticized the use of “brute force and threats of criminal process” during the takeover, noting it violated congressional protections established when USIP was created in 1984 under President Reagan.
The administration has already moved to appeal, with the Justice Department preparing to challenge Howell’s order. This follows earlier judicial setbacks, including Howell’s March 2025 refusal to grant a temporary restraining order, though she expressed dismay at DOGE’s tactics. The case could set a precedent for other independent agencies targeted by Trump’s government reduction efforts, with ongoing legal battles likely to shape the future of such institutions.
