On June 24, attorneys for former Department of Justice (DOJ) attorney Erez Reuveni sent Reuveni’s formal whistleblower disclosure to the DOJ Inspector General, the Office of the Special Counsel (OSC) and Ranking Members of the Senate and House Judiciary Committees.
Reuveni, who served as the Acting Deputy Director for the Office of Immigration Litigation (OIL) of the DOJ, alleges that DOJ officials planned “to resist court orders that would impede potentially illegal efforts to deport noncitizens” and that he was fired for resisting to carry out and reporting these alleged violations of the law.
According to the disclosure:
“Mr. Reuveni was involved in three separate cases involving the legality of the Administration’s immigration removal operations under its newly implemented priorities during which time he directly witnessed and reported:
- DOJ officials undermining the rule of law by ignoring court orders;
- DOJ officials presenting “legal” arguments with no basis in law;
- high-ranking DOJ and DHS officials misrepresenting facts presented before courts; and
- DOJ officials directing Mr. Reuveni to misrepresent facts in one of these cases in violation of Mr. Reuveni’s legal and ethical duties as an officer of the court.
Mr. Reuveni’s internal reporting and ultimately his refusal to obey this illegal order directly resulted in his suspension and termination.”
Reuveni is making a whistleblower disclosure to Congress and other authorities under the Whistleblower Protection Act, which covers federal employee whistleblowers, and is seeking relief with the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) as well as proper oversight from Congress, the DOJ Inspector General, and the OSC.
The disclosure details specific allegations about Emil Bove, a DOJ official who is nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. According to the disclosure, during a discussion about an impending court order which could enjoin the removal of noncitizens under the Alien Enemies Act, “Bove stated that DOJ would need to consider telling the courts ‘fuck you; and ignore any such court order.”
Following Reuveni’s disclosure, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued a statement:
“I want to thank Mr. Reuveni for exercising his right to speak up and bring accountability to Mr. Bove. And I implore my Senate Republican colleagues: do not turn a blind eye to the dire consequences of confirming Mr. Bove to a lifetime position as a circuit court judge.”
During his Senate nomination hearing on June 25, Bove denied Reuveni’s allegations.
