Staffers from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), reportedly under the direction of Elon Musk, entered the headquarters of the US Institute of Peace (USIP) on Monday, leading to a police response and conflicting allegations of unlawful activity, as per Bloomberg.
This incident follows previous attempts by DOGE staff to enter government agency headquarters and highlights ongoing efforts to streamline government operations under President Donald Trump’s administration.
The USIP, currently led by Acting President and CEO George Moose, a former ambassador and assistant Secretary of State, maintains its status as an independent non-profit organization funded directly by Congress. However, President Trump recently signed an executive order aimed at reducing USIP and similar entities to their legally mandated minimum functions.
Following an unsuccessful attempt to enter the USIP facility last week, the Trump Administration initiated action to replace the presidentially-appointed and Senate-confirmed board of directors. This left Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and National Defense University President Peter A. Garvin as the remaining voting members.
On Friday, the remaining board members reportedly sought to replace Moose with Kenneth Jackson as acting president. The legality of this action is currently under scrutiny due to specific legislative requirements concerning the removal of board members and the board’s composition. The White House contends that the move was sufficient to dismiss Moose, accusing him of acting unlawfully.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly stated on social media that Moose was a “career bureaucrat who wants to be unaccountable to the American people.”
In response, Moose accused DOGE staffers of unlawful entry into the USIP building on Monday.
DOGE subsequently posted on X that Moose attempted to prevent Jackson from entering the building and that DC Police escorted Jackson inside.
