Final yr, the Trump administration and members of the so-called Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE) forcibly took over the US Institute of Peace (USIP), an impartial nonprofit. Since then, the group’s fired board and staff have been fighting to regain management of the USIP building in Washington, DC and for the reinstatement of their jobs in a drawn-out court docket battle.
Now, in a letter despatched to the Division of Justice (DOJ), representatives for the USIP’s fired board and staff argue that the administration is violating a court-issued keep by making bodily modifications to the constructing and, to their understanding, transferring forward with new agreements. Particularly, the letter asks for info on whether or not the State Division has signed an settlement to make use of the constructing for the “Board of Peace,” a new international organization underneath the private lifetime management of President Donald Trump that seeks to supervise the reconstruction of Gaza.
“They’re appearing underneath the keep as if they’ve a license to make use of the constructing, to make use of cash, to deal with the constructing any manner they need,” says George Foote, counsel for former USIP management and employees. “A keep shouldn’t be permission for the loser of a case to hijack the property of the profitable celebration.”
On March 17, 2025 members of DOGE arrived at USIP and forced their way into the $500 million building; shortly after, the Trump administration fired many of the group’s board. USIP, although created and funded by Congress, is an impartial entity, not a federal company. This didn’t cease Trump from issuing an executive order purporting to primarily shut USIP.
In Might, a court docket held that the administration’s takeover of USIP’s constructing and firing of its employees had been illegal; the subsequent month, an appeals court docket issued a stay on that ruling. This returned the constructing to the administration’s management whereas a federal appeals case is ongoing.
In December, the Trump administration renamed the constructing the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, even affixing the president’s identify to its edifice. However this, apparently, was solely the start.
In keeping with the letter, “USIP’s present appearing president has not too long ago signed a ten-year
memorandum of understanding (‘MOU’) with the State Division, underneath which a whole bunch of State Division staff will transfer into USIP’s constructing.” The letter alleges that underneath the phrases of this settlement, USIP will probably be liable for the constructing’s maintenance and safety prices, and the State Division will probably be indemnified in opposition to duty for harm to USIP property. To accommodate an inflow of recent folks, the letter alleges, “building is already underway to switch working areas within the USIP constructing.” These renovations, the letter argues, might “impose substantial, costly, and unwarranted obstacles” ought to USIP finally win again management of the constructing within the remaining court docket case.
Which State Division employees can be housed on the USIP constructing is unclear, however a presentation given on the World Financial Discussion board by the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner has raised alarms on the a part of USIP’s former employees and board. Kushner used a slide deck to stipulate the plans for the brand new “Board of Peace” and the redevelopment of Gaza; a picture of the USIP constructing was the final slide. The letter asks the federal government to “verify whether or not the Administration has plans to deal with the ‘Board of Peace’ on the USIP headquarters constructing.”
“The federal government doesn’t have a license to rename the USIP headquarters constructing or lease it out for 10 years. It actually has no proper to open the constructing to a brand new worldwide group just like the proposed Board of Peace,” says Foote.
The letter additionally asks for affirmation of the funds which are in USIP’s endowment, which Foote says he’s involved could also be used “to rework the constructing for functions of that State Division lease, subsequently utilizing our donor cash for the advantage of the State Division.”
The State Division didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
