WASHINGTON — Most employees at the U.S. Institute of Peace, a congressionally created and funded think tank now taken over by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, received email notices of their mass firing, the latest step in the Trump administration’s government downsizing.
The emails, sent to personal accounts because most staff members had lost access to the organization’s system, began going out about 9 p.m. Friday, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of fear of reprisal.
One former senior official at the institute said among those spared were several in the human resources department and a handful of overseas staffers who have until April 9 to return to the United States. The organization has about 300 people.
Others retained for now are regional vice presidents who will be working with the staff in their areas to return to the U.S., according to one employee who was affected.
An executive order last month from President Donald Trump targeted the organization, 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.
A lawsuit ensued, and U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell chastised DOGE representatives for their behavior but did not reinstate the board members or allow employees to return to the workspace.
A White House spokeswoman, Anna Kelly, said in an email Saturday that the institute “has failed to deliver peace” and that Trump “is carrying out his mandate to eliminate bloat and save taxpayer dollars.”
The letter to employees said that as of Friday, “your employment with us will conclude,” according to one longtime employee who shared part of the communication. A second email, obtained by the AP, said the terminations were at the direction of the president.
Workers were given until April 7 to clear out their desks.
George Foote, a former institute lawyer fired this month who is with one of the firms providing counsel in the current lawsuit, said lawyers were consulting Saturday to discuss possible next steps. He said employees are not part of the pending lawsuit, so they would have to file a separate case.
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Associated Press writer Ellen Knickmeyer contributed to this report.