Now, in a letter sent to the Department of Justice (DOJ), representatives on behalf of USIP’s ousted board and president allege that the administration is violating a court-issued stay by making material changes to the building and, as the letter claims, moving forward with new agreements. Specifically, the letter seeks information about whether the State Department has signed an agreement to use the building for the “Board of Peace,” a new international organization under the personal lifetime control of President Donald Trump that seeks to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza.
“They’re acting under the stay as if they have a license to use the building, to use the money, to handle the building in any way they want,” says George Foote, a lawyer for the former USIP leadership and staff. “There is no restriction on allowing the loser of a case to take possession of the property of the winning party.”
On March 17, 2025, DOGE members arrived at USIP and forced their way into the $500 million building; Shortly afterward, the Trump administration fired most of the organization’s board. USIP, although created and funded by Congress, is an independent entity, not a federal agency. This did not stop Trump from issuing an executive order essentially shutting down USIP.
In May, a court held that the administration’s acquisition of the USIP building and firing of its employees was illegal; The next month, an appeals court stayed that decision. This returned the building to administration control while the federal appeal case is pending.
In December, the Trump administration renamed the building the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, even adding the president’s name to its building. But this was, apparently, only the beginning.
According to the letter, “The current acting president of USIP recently signed a ten-year agreement
“Construction is already underway to modify work spaces in the USIP building to accommodate the influx of newcomers,” the letter alleges. That these renovations, “could create substantial, costly and unreasonable barriers” if USIP ultimately wins back control of the building in the final court case.
It is unclear which State Department employees will be housed in the USIP building, but a presentation given at the World Economic Forum by the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has raised concerns from former USIP employees and the board. Kushner, who has no formal role in the administration, used a slide deck to outline plans for the new “peace board” and Gaza redevelopment; An image of the USIP building was the last slide. The letter asks the government to “confirm whether the administration has plans to place a ‘Peace Board’ at the USIP headquarters building.”
Foote says, “The government does not have a license to rename the USIP headquarters building or lease it for 10 years. It certainly has no authority to open the building to a new international organization like the proposed Peace Board.”
The letter also asks for confirmation of the funds being held in USIP’s endowment, with Foote saying he is concerned it could be used “to repurpose the building for the purposes of that State Department lease, so our donor money can be used for the benefit of the State Department.”
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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