The DOGE days have just begun
- The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, broke into the US Institute for Peace on March 17th, according to court documents.
- The break-in was allegedly orchestrated by a fired security firm that was threatened with contract cancellation unless they let DOGE into the building.
- USIP staff told DOGE they were trespassing, but instead of calling the police, the officers helped facilitate the break-in and escorted DOGE into the building.
- The incident has been described as “dubiously legal” and “straightforward extortion”, with USIP’s board of directors suing DOGE and other parties in Trump’s administration.
- USIP head of security Colin O’Brien, along with two lawyers, was detained during the break-in, highlighting the severity of the situation.
I once wondered whether law enforcement might stop Elon Musk’s power grab. About a month ago, I got my answer: no.
On March 17th, the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency broke into the nonprofit, congressionally funded US Institute for Peace, according to court documents filed by the USIP’s board of directors. By allegedly threatening to “cancel every federal contract” of a private security firm that had worked with USIP until a day earlier, they convinced it to let them into the building – where, told by institute staff they were trespassing, the fired security firm headed for the USIP gun safe. That’s when the USIP called the cops. The DC police arrived to escort DOGE into the building. USIP head of security Colin O’Brien, along with two of USIP’s lawyers, was detained.
Any reasonable reading of these court documents shows that a fired security firm broke into the offices of a nonprofit agency, under a dubiously legal executive order and what, as described, sounds like straightforward extortion. Police officers elected to help the people who were breaking and entering. USIP’s board of directors has sued DOGE and assorted other parties in Trump’s administration, but …
Read the full story at The Verge.