An independent institute dedicated to promoting peace will seek a federal judge’s intervention on Wednesday to stop the Trump administration officials and Elon Musk’s government cost-cutting team from launching what they describe as a “lawless assault” against them.
The U.S. Institute of Peace filed a lawsuit against President Trump and others on Tuesday in the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, alleging an illegal “takeover by force.”
A standoff occurred on Monday between the institute and Mr. Musk’s team, resulting in police officers assisting in evicting staff members from the institute’s headquarters in Washington. This followed recent actions by the White House to dismantle the institute’s board and appoint a new acting president.
President Trump’s executive order last month directed the institute to reduce its operations to the “statutory minimum.” However, institute officials argue that Trump and Musk lack the authority to dismantle their operations because the organization is a nonprofit chartered by Congress and not part of the executive branch.
In the lawsuit, the institute disputes the executive order’s classification of the organization as a “government entity.” They accuse members of Mr. Musk’s Department for Government Efficiency of improperly accessing and attempting to control the institute’s infrastructure, including sensitive computer systems.
The Justice Department refutes the claim that the institute is not a government entity and maintains that the president has the authority to remove board members. Department lawyers argue that the institute cannot file a complaint without authorization from its new acting president, Kenneth Jackson.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly responded to the lawsuit by reiterating accusations that institute staff members disobeyed Trump’s executive order. “Rogue bureaucrats will not be allowed to hold agencies hostage,” Kelly stated.
The suit alleges Trump disregarded the 1984 legislation establishing the institute as an independent nonprofit when the White House dismissed most of the board of directors. The remaining board members replaced the acting president with Mr. Jackson.
The dispute between the Trump administration and the institute became public on Monday when Mr. Jackson and a team arrived at the agency’s offices. Conflict ensued, with lawyers negotiating and some staff members refusing to leave.
The Washington Metropolitan Police Department was called to the scene by the U.S. attorney’s office due to reports of unauthorized individuals inside the building. Officers confirmed Mr. Jackson’s authority over the facility and departed once everyone had left.
Although the institute’s office is on Navy-owned land, the headquarters—a symbol of transparency funded by private donors—remains at the center of the ongoing legal battle.