Judge Declines Emergency Relief for USIP Against Takeover by DOGE

Federal District Court Judge Beryl Howell declined to block takeover of the U.S. Institute of Peace by Elon Musk’s “Department” of Government Efficiency.

DOGE is a subset of a White House IT team, not a government department.

Howell said although Donald Trump fired board members without requisite cause, the fired board members probably do not have authority to sue. She called some aspects of their lawsuit “a stretch.”

Howell did not revoke the removal of the board members. She did not bar DOGE from accessing USIP’s building, facilities or systems. She did not bar DOGE from acting in USIP’s name.

The lawsuit said DOGE performed a “literal trespass and takeover by force.” The filing said DOGE “plundered” USIP. Filings included a photo of USIP’s financial documents in a bin labeled “shred.”

Howell remarked, “I am very offended by how DOGE has operated at the institute and treated American citizens trying to do a job that they were statutorily tasked to do at the institute. But that concern about how this has gone down is not one that can sway me in my consideration of the factors for a [temporary restraining order], which is an emergency relief that is extraordinary.”

Howell also expressed dismay that the private security firm contracted by USIP aligned itself with DOGE under the apparent threat of losing its other government security contracts. An official from Inter-Con, the private security company that worked for USIP until DOGE terminated its contract, using their key to let DOGE into the building on Monday despite no longer being on contract.

“DOGE went to this terminated private security contractor and said, ‘Even though we don’t have a contract with you … let us in or we’re going to cancel all your other government business,’” the judge said.

Although the judge was alarmed, she was not sufficiently alarmed to slow down DOGE while the lawsuit is considered.

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