A federal judge called DOGE’s actions at the United States Institute of Peace “unlawful.”
The courts have decided against DOGE and the US government in their legal battle to take full control of the United States Institute of Peace, including a headquarters building with an estimated value of $500 million.
In a memorandum opinion, US district court judge Beryl Howell ruled in favor of the former institute board and staff who had sued to be reinstalled at the agency after DOGE affiliates forcibly removed them in March. She also gave a strong rebuke to the defendants in the case, who include the US DOGE Service, Donald Trump, secretary of defense Pete Hegseth, and several other government representatives and agencies.
“The purported removal of members of the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace (“USIP”) … was unlawful,” Howell wrote in the order, “and therefore null, void, and without legal effect.”
Super dumb question here: what constitutional power does DOGE actually have? Musk wasn’t confirmed. The department wasn’t officially created nor was it funded in any fashion. The Department isn’t part of the presidential succession plan.
Outside of the fact that 47 has allowed it to exist, what power do they weld besides vibes?
“The purported removal of members of the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace (“USIP”) … was unlawful,” Howell wrote in the order, “and therefore null, void, and without legal effect.”
Lemme guess. It was unlawful but there are no consequences available to hold anyone accountable?
Just like slavery until the 1940s
The US still has slavery in prisons.
And before anyone thinks this is hyperbole, it’s literally an exception in the article that abolished slavery… “except as a punishment for a crime”.
Unfortunately, “unlawful” in cases like this usually means “not in a way allowed by law”, rather than “punishable by law”. Felonies committed by citizens have prison sentences, governments just have rules and procedures.
Now, fortunately, repeatedly acting beyond the scope of office can be considered an abuse of office, which can be considered a High Crime or Misdemeanor, as in the impeachment of Richard Nixon:
Using the powers of the office of President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in disregard of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has repeatedly engaged in conduct violating the constitutional rights of citizens, impairing the due and proper administration of justice and the conduct of lawful inquiries, or contravening the laws governing agencies of the executive branch and the purposes of these agencies.
Emphasis mine. As is always the case, the so-called “co-equal” branches of government are meant to check each other on this shit, but no matter how many times the Judicial Branch surprisingly does its job despite being inundated with useful stooges and religious zealots, the power and partisanship of the Legislative branch has been completely captured and corrupted.
Particularly after those useful stooges ruled in Citizens United, and particularly because the chronically underfunded education system and Murdoch et al., propaganda machine successfully manufactured the consent of the masses, all while the First Past the Post voting system ensured that the opposition party only had to do the bare minimum as “the lesser of two evils” to stay in power.
All that being said, this is a big win. Every judicial slapdown of DOGE and its Executive overreach is another reminder that the fascists haven’t completely captured the federal government, and each ruling against their abuse of power is yet another line item in the eventual impeachment and/or criminal proceedings, provided we manage to recapture the nation’s reins during the incipient economic collapse and subsequent civil unrest.
