PEORIA – The Department of Government Efficiency has targeted three local offices of federal agencies: the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Trustee Program and the Federal Drug Administration.
The Peoria offices are listed among 748 “lease terminations” on the DOGE website. However, the site does not explain whether those offices will relocate, consolidate or terminate. Nor does it specify each office’s staffing numbers or if any employees will lose their jobs.
DOGE did not immediately return a WMBD Radio request for clarification. Spokespersons for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Trustee Program declined to comment; the FDA could not be reached for comment.
Peoria Mayor Rita Ali said Thursday she was seeking information regarding the Peoria futures of those federal offices.
“We don’t have the answers,” she said. “We’re looking for the answers as to whether they’re transferring these jobs or if they’re slashing these jobs.
“I suspect these offices were blindsided.”
Created by an executive order by President Trump, DOGE has been pushing job and cost cuts within the federal government. The website boasts a toteboard of “estimate savings” of $105 billion nationwide through a “combination of asset sales, contract/lease cancellations and renegotiations, fraud and improper payment deletion, grant cancellations, interest savings, programmatic changes, regulatory savings, and workforce reductions.”
Under a listing called “Wall of Receipts” is a section marked “Real Estate,” subtitled, “Displaying 748 lease terminations totaling 9,587,384 square feet and ~ $468M in lease savings.”
Those listings involve 24 entries for Illinois, including three in Peoria:
U.S. Attorney’s Office, 211 Fulton St # 400 (One Technology Plaza). U.S. attorneys prosecute federal criminal cases and perform other duties.
Peoria office’s square feet: 21,631.
- Annual lease cost $669,873.
- Total savings: $55,823.
U.S. Trustee Program, 401 Main St #1100 (Becker Buidling). A component of the U.S. Department of Justice, trustees monitor bankruptcies and perform other duties.
- Peoria office’s square feet: 5,898.
- Annual lease cost: $102,276.
- Total savings: $161,938.
Food and Drug Administration, 2918 W Willow Knolls Drive.
- Peoria office’s square feet: 1,155.
- Annual lease cost: $19,026.
- Total savings: $33,295.
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