A federal judge on Wednesday denied a temporary restraining order (TRO) to block DOGE from taking over the Institute of Peace (USIP) after a standoff with law enforcement.
Judge Beryl Howell, an Obama appointee denied the TRO but she blasted DOGE’s treatment of the USIP President and other officials who were escorted out of the building in DC earlier this week.
As previously reported:
On Monday, the fired president, George Moose, refused to leave the Institute of Peace’s building in Washington DC, prompting a standoff with law enforcement.
The Institute of Peace was created in 1984 under the Reagan Administration. George Moose is an old Clintonite who refused to leave after Trump signed an executive order last month reducing the USIP to its “statutory minimum.”
DOGE attempted to evict George Moose and other officials of the USIP on Monday but Musk’s workers were forced to call law enforcement amid a standoff.
Police intervened after Acting USIP President Kenneth Jackson was denied entry.
Mr. Moose denied lawful access to Kenneth Jackson, the Acting USIP President (as approved by the USIP Board). @DCPoliceDept arrived onsite and escorted Mr. Jackson into the building. The only unlawful individual was Mr. Moose, who refused to comply, and even tried to fire USIP’s… https://t.co/Fy8hJClx9E pic.twitter.com/yqq81qNKXM
— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) March 18, 2025
“MPD members went to the USIP building and contacted an individual who allowed MPD members inside of the building,” the Metro police said. “Once inside of the building, the acting USIP President requested that all the unauthorized individuals inside of the building leave.”
George Moose was escorted out of the building by MPD without incident. No arrests were made.
The US Institute of Peace sued to block DOGE’s takeover.
Judge Beryl Howell on Wednesday denied an emergency TRO but she blasted DOGE for their treatment of USIP president George Moose – who literally barricaded himself in the building after he was fired.
“Are you the least bit offended by how this was executed, Mr. Hudak? I have to say, I’m offended on behalf of the American citizens who have done so much, as I just said, with Mr. Moose himself, so much service to this country to be treated so abominably, let alone the directors on the board,” Judge Howell said to Assistant US Attorney Brian Hudak.
The DOJ official responded to Howell with common sense: “If I’m fired and I decide to barricade myself into the US attorney’s office…I’m assuming some of my colleagues would say, ‘Brian, what are you doing? Here’s your termination letter, you need to leave.’ I’m assuming it would escalate from there…I’m assuming the police would be called.”
Howell wasn’t offended by the petulant USIP official refusing to leave after he was fired from his job. She was offended that DOGE used law enforcement and other forceful yet lawful incentives to remove George Moose.
Throughout the hearing, Howell repeatedly emphasized the appalling treatment of the people who worked at USIP. But she ultimately said there are serious questions about USIP’s structure that suggest Trump may have authority to do what he did. She will expedite case. pic.twitter.com/Pb8ov6rVV7
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) March 19, 2025
The post Obama Judge Denies TRO to Block DOGE From Taking Over Institute of Peace After Standoff – But Claims She’s “Offended” by Treatment of Fired President After He Barricaded Himself in Office appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.