DOGE Loses Battle to Take Over USIP—and Its $500 Million Headquarters
www.wired.com
A federal judge called DOGE’s actions at the United States Institute of Peace “unlawful.”

A federal judge called DOGE’s actions at the United States Institute of Peace “unlawful.”

The courts have decided against DOGE and the US government in their legal battle to take full control of the United States Institute of Peace, including a headquarters building with an estimated value of $500 million.

In a memorandum opinion, US district court judge Beryl Howell ruled in favor of the former institute board and staff who had sued to be reinstalled at the agency after DOGE affiliates forcibly removed them in March. She also gave a strong rebuke to the defendants in the case, who include the US DOGE Service, Donald Trump, secretary of defense Pete Hegseth, and several other government representatives and agencies.

“The purported removal of members of the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace (“USIP”) … was unlawful,” Howell wrote in the order, “and therefore null, void, and without legal effect.”

  • derfunkatron@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    12 days ago

    DOGE was never officially created but the Trump administration instead repurposed the US Digital Service (partially renamed the US DOGE Service). USDS was in charge of digital infrastructure modernization and was originally supposed to be a neutral technology consulting agency across the government. That was their “in” to many other agencies.

    Musk was never appointed because he was “hired” as an executive consultant with a time-limited position instead (see how he is leaving/withdrawing right as that limit is reached).

    Since the USDS is an executive agency, it can be instructed to directly take orders from the president through its agency head and the chain of command. USDS has also primarily infected other executive agencies with executive authorization and the heads of those agencies allowing it to happen (or resigning).

    The majority of Federal agencies fall within control of the Executive Branch.

    Appropriate Constitutional power is moot when the other branches won’t check the Executive. Right now, DOGE is testing the boundaries of executive power at every corner of the government.