On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell sanctioned the transfer of the headquarters building of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) to the General Services Administration (GSA). According to Judge Howell’s decision, the building, along with all of its contents, had already been transferred on the previous Saturday. “The deal is no longer merely ‘proposed’ but done,” Howell stated, indicating that the relief sought by the plaintiffs was moot concerning that property.
George Foote, who serves as the longtime outside general counsel for USIP, expressed confusion about the ruling. He compared the situation to a scenario where a burglar steals a TV, and the court decides there is no TV to address, preventing any action.
The building, valued at approximately $500 million, has become a central issue in a prolonged standoff between the former board and staff of the institute and members of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The Trump administration dismissed the USIP’s 10 voting board members on March 14. When USIP staff blocked DOGE personnel from accessing the Washington, DC headquarters, DOGE personnel returned shortly afterward with a key obtained from a former security contractor.
This takeover involved both physical and organizational changes. Kenneth Jackson, former State Department official, was made USIP president but was later replaced on March 25 by DOGE staff member Nate Cavanaugh, who previously worked at the GSA. By the end of the week, most USIP staff received termination notices, effectively leading to the agency’s closure.
Details of the building’s transfer surfaced on Monday through court documents tied to a lawsuit filed by former USIP staff against Cavanaugh, DOGE, former President Donald Trump, and other members of the administration. These documents reveal that Cavanaugh managed the transfer to GSA without incurring any cost to the government.
A letter included in the court docket shows Cavanaugh informing GSA acting administrator Stephen Ehikian that the transfer is beneficial for USIP, the federal government, and the nation. Additionally, a letter dated March 29 from the Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought approved the request to set the reimbursement amount at zero for the facility.
An unrevealed court filing from Monday discusses the Trump administration’s rationale for acquiring the building. Michael Peters of the GSA, formerly involved in managing a dental practice, now commissioner of the Public Buildings Service, described the transfer of the USIP headquarters as a priority for the Trump-Vance administration. He noted that the move would allow the GSA to meet other governmental space needs cost-effectively, though the agency lacked the resources to acquire the property at its market value or prioritize such an acquisition due to limited Federal Buildings Fund resources.
