Obama judge strikes again, overrules DOGE takeover of shady ‘U.S. Institute of Peace’

A notorious far-left Obama judge ruled on Monday that the Trump administration illegally took over the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP).

In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, a notorious Obama appointee linked strongly with the left (see the video below), slammed the administration for taking over USIP earlier this year and then replacing its top officials with members of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Last month, Judge Beryl Howell won an award from a women’s lawyers group. She was introduced by Loretta Lynch, shared the stage with deputy AG Lisa Monaco.

She gave a shout out to Sally Yates and Andrew Weissmann: pic.twitter.com/bSVdAwEJzI

— Julie Kelly (@julie_kelly2) December 18, 2023

Howell specifically ruled that “the removal of USIP’s president, his replacement by officials affiliated with DOGE, the termination of nearly all of USIP’s staff, and the transfer of USIP property to the General Services Administration” were “effectuated by illegitimately-installed leaders who lacked legal authority to take these actions, which must therefore be declared null and void.”

By “illegally-installed leaders,” she meant the DOGE staffers.

Howell continued by accusing the Trump administration and DOGE of having “used brute force and threats of criminal process to take over USIP’s headquarters, despite being cautioned that this organization did not fall within the executive branch and its leadership was not subject to the president’s unilateral executive branch removal power.”

On account of Howell’s order, former American diplomat George Moose has been reinstated as USIP’s president. He was previously fired by the Trump administration on March 14, after which he infamously tried to block DOGE staffers from entering the agency’s facility.

George Moose, the president of the U.S. Institute of Peace, locked himself in the building after DOGE fired & ordered him to leave.

D.C. police eventually gained entry and removed him.

These people genuinely believe they are entitled to be in government forever at our expense. pic.twitter.com/pOezaT7IlX

— George (@BehizyTweets) March 19, 2025

USIP’s former leftist staffers were thrilled by the ruling.

“There’s a lot to interpret from [the ruling], but for the time being, today is a day of celebration for the Institute and the staff,” former USP Vice President Michael Phelan happily told CNN.

Former USIP Senior Program Officer Tonis Montes added that she was “incredulous, so excited, just crying for joy” over the ruling.

Incidentally, Howell concluded her ruling by shedding tears over these former staffers’ alleged trauma.

“The President’s efforts here to take over an organization outside of those bounds, contrary to statute established by Congress and by acts of force and threat using local and federal law enforcement officers, represented a gross usurpation of power and a way of conducting government affairs that unnecessarily traumatized the committed leadership and employees of USIP, who deserved better,” she wrote.

I can’t be the only one bewildered that a judge uses this kind of language in rulings.

She claims that Trump is “conducting government affairs that unnecessarily traumatized the committed leadership and employees of USIP, who deserved better.”

A judge says Trump can’t fire… pic.twitter.com/Hfs6bC1hMs

— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) May 19, 2025

This isn’t the first time that Howell has ruled against the Trump administration or against Trump supporters.

“Earlier this year, she found that Trump’s firing of a member of the National Labor Relations Board was an ‘illegal act,’” CNN notes.

Back in 2021, she accused even low-level Jan. 6 offenders of “terrorizing members of Congress” and complained about them receiving sentences that she deemed to be too lenient.

Critics responded to her latest ruling by noting that she was protecting an agency that once reportedly granted a $130,000 contract to a former Taliban member.

Look:

For now….

Wait until you hear what the Insitute of Peace was actually doing with our money.

— PASQUALE F (@PASQUALEFO69435) May 20, 2025

So the activist judge is fine with Institute of Peace’ having a $130,000 contract with a former member of the Taliban and deleted 1 Terabyte of accounting records when DOGE entered headquarters. Wild!

— #theworldisgoingkaput (@07Cat31) May 19, 2025

Reminder that DOGE revealed the ‘Institute of Peace’ had a $130,000 contract with a former member of the Taliban and deleted 1 Terabyte of accounting records when DOGE entered headquarters. Maybe ‘A Federal Judge’ should look into that…

— contro (@contro19) May 19, 2025

BREAKING: DOGE staffer reveals the ‘Institute of Peace’ had a $130,000 contract with a former member of the Taliban and deleted 1 Terabyte of accounting records when DOGE entered headquarters.

The data was recovered and evidence was referred to the FBI and DOJ. pic.twitter.com/9iNAyuTmEv

— ALX (@alx) May 2, 2025

Senior Staff Writer
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V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.

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