The chief executive of the United States Institute of Peace has reported that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency left the nonprofit’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., in poor condition with water damage, as well as infestations of rats and roaches. This information is detailed in a sworn statement recently brought to light by Court Watch.
George Moose, the executive, issued his statement shortly after a federal judge declared DOGE’s takeover of the nonprofit to be illegal. Meanwhile, Musk has announced his departure from DOGE, though he, along with President Trump, indicated that he will continue to provide advisory support to the administration.
DOGE initiated its takeover of USIP in mid-March following a confrontation that led the nonprofit to call the police against Musk’s government workers. At that time, Moose claimed that DOGE personnel had “broken into” the USIP headquarters, despite it not being part of the executive branch and not answerable to the White House’s directives.
Moose had previously highlighted apprehensions that the administration intended to dismantle much of the foreign assistance infrastructure, which included USIP. His assertion highlighted the Trump administration’s strategy toward entities such as the United States Agency for International Development.
At a press conference on May 21, Moose initially commented that the nonprofit’s headquarters appeared to be in reasonable condition following the judge’s ruling. However, he later detailed that an inspection by his staff revealed several issues with the building.
In his statement, Moose noted that the headquarters had been “essentially abandoned for many weeks” prior to USIP regaining control. He attributed the neglect, including signs of “rats and roaches,” to DOGE’s failure to properly maintain and secure the premises.
Moose’s staff also reported that the vehicle barriers were not adequately maintained and identified water leaks and multiple missing ceiling tiles, which he noted are indicative of potential water damage.
Currently, Moose stated that USIP has employed a private security firm for building security and has assumed full responsibility for the building’s maintenance.
