A DOGE employee is put in charge of the US Institute of Peace, a court filing alleges

WASHINGTON (AP) — An official allied with Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency has been put in charge of the U.S. Institute of Peace, a congressionally created and funded think tank targeted by President Donald Trump for closure, according to a federal court filing Monday.

Two board members of the Institute of Peace have authorized replacing its temporary president with Nate Cavanaugh, the filing says. They ordered him, it says, to transfer the institute's property to the General Services Administration, the federal government's real estate manager, which is terminating hundreds of leases at DOGE's behest.

The court filing asks U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell in Washington to stop the action or schedule a status conference to address the issues as soon as “practicable.” Howell ordered the parties in the case to appear before her Tuesday for a status hearing.

In a motion opposing the request, lawyers for the defendants argued that Howell had denied an earlier request by the plaintiffs for provisional relief. "The Court's order allowed the Institute's new leadership to perform their duties, including complying with the President's Executive Order, and the United States remains under no judicial command to halt its activities in that regard. Plaintiffs now complain that the Institute and its new leadership are taking those very steps to implement the President's Executive Order."

The action follows a Friday night mass firing of nearly all of the institute's 300 employees. Former employees say only a small number did not get notification, including colleagues who are abroad, who were given until April 9 to return to the U.S., and the regional vice presidents, who direct the areas where they are based.

Two former employees, who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said they were reached by private emails because they have been locked out of the institute's system and were not able to return to work since a tense standoff earlier this month in which DOGE members were accompanied by law enforcement. They were given until April 7 to clear out their personal effects.

An executive order from the Republican president in February listed the institute, which seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, and three other agencies for closure. Board members, who are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, and the institute's president were fired. Later, there was a standoff between employees who blocked DOGE members from entering the institute's headquarters near the State Department. DOGE staff gained access in part with the help of the Washington police.

Howell chastised DOGE representatives for their behavior but did not reinstate the board members or allow employees to return to the workspace.

The court filing by plaintiffs acknowledges Howell's previous actions denying a temporary restraining order. “They seek relief now simply to preserve the status quo with regard to the Court's jurisdiction to grant relief if it determines that the removal of a vast majority of the Institute's directors was unlawful,” it says.