A DOJ Whistleblower Now Makes Revelation That Undermines the Judicial System’s Integrity

In a stunning revelation that’s rocking the Justice Department, a former top immigration lawyer has come forward with allegations that a high-ranking Trump appointee encouraged federal prosecutors to essentially flip off federal judges if they got in the way of the administration’s aggressive deportation plans.

Erez Reuveni, who spent 15 years at the DOJ and was no stranger to defending tough immigration policies under the first Trump term, detailed these claims in a recent 60 Minutes interview, painting a picture of chaos and ethical lapses at the highest levels.

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The controversy centers on Emil Bove, Trump’s former criminal defense attorney who was tapped as the DOJ’s third-highest official earlier this year.

According to Reuveni, Bove called a meeting on March 14 where he laid out plans to invoke the Alien Enemies Act—a dusty 200-year-old law allowing the president to expel citizens from countries the U.S. is at war with.

The twist? No war had been declared with Venezuela, but the administration aimed to ship about 250 Venezuelan nationals to El Salvador’s infamous CECOT mega-prison anyway.

Bove stressed that those planes “need to take off, no matter what,” Reuveni recalled.

Then, after a pause, Bove reportedly added: “And if some court should issue an order preventing that, we may have to consider telling that court, ‘F— you.’”

The Stomach-Dropping Turning Point for Reuveni

Reuveni, who was acting deputy director of the DOJ’s immigration section at the time, said the comment hit him like “a bomb had gone off.”

He described it as the number three official “using expletives to tell career attorneys that we may just have to consider disregarding federal court orders.”

This wasn’t just talk—the very next day, lawyers for the detainees sued, and U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, an Obama appointee, grilled government attorney Drew Ensign about whether the flights were happening that weekend.

Ensign claimed he didn’t know, which Reuveni called “stunning” since Ensign had been in the same meeting with Bove.

“It is the highest, most egregious violation of a lawyer’s code of ethics to mislead a court with intent,” Reuveni said.

Despite Boasberg’s order to halt removals and bring back anyone already airborne, the planes took off mid-hearing and landed in El Salvador hours later.

Reuveni emailed agencies about the judge’s decision, but it was ignored.

“And then it really hit me,” he told 60 Minutes. “It’s like, we really did tell the court, ‘Screw you.’ We really did just tell the courts, ‘We don’t care about your order.’”

A Court Disgustingly Pushes to Make False Statements

The fallout didn’t stop there. One deportee, Kilmar Abrego Garcia—a Maryland father—was sent by mistake.

Instead of fixing it, Reuveni’s superiors pushed him to argue in court that Garcia was an MS-13 gang member and terrorist, which Reuveni knew was false.

“I responded up the chain of command, no way. That is not correct,” he said. “That is not factually correct. It is not legally correct. That is a lie. And I cannot sign my name to that brief.”

For refusing, he was fired, ending his long DOJ career, and he filed a whistleblower complaint in June.

Bove, who’s since been confirmed by Senate Republicans to a lifetime spot on the federal appellate bench, has pushed back hard.

In a statement to 60 Minutes, he called Reuveni’s account “a mix of falsehood and wild distortions of reality.”

During his confirmation hearings, when pressed by Sen. Adam Schiff about whether he’d ever suggested telling courts “f— you,” Bove said he couldn’t recall.

Bove, Ensign, and Attorney General Pam Bondi all declined interviews with 60 Minutes.

Evidence Surfaces with Former Colleagues Backing Reuveni Up

But Reuveni’s story isn’t isolated—documents and former colleagues are backing him up.

Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin released emails and texts that corroborate the claims, including messages where Reuveni and his boss referenced Bove’s suggestion to defy courts.

Durbin, in a statement, praised Reuveni as a “loyal public servant” who spoke out “out of principle—not politics.”

He slammed Bove, saying these episodes show he “belongs nowhere near the federal bench.”

Other reports echo this tension.

A New York Times piece detailed how Bove told subordinates he was willing to ignore court orders to push Trump’s deportation agenda, based on Reuveni’s complaint.

Reuveni described being thwarted when trying to comply with judicial decisions, and after refusing to lie about Garcia, he was put on leave and fired.

Politico reported that former colleagues were shocked by Reuveni’s dismissal, with one saying it was “stunning” that he’d be questioned after simply telling the truth to a judge.

Just Security highlighted texts confirming Bove’s “fuck you” remark to courts and even suggested it could implicate him in a criminal contempt order from Chief Judge Boasberg.

Media Blows the Lid

NPR covered Reuveni’s refusal to lie in the Abrego Garcia case, noting his awards from past Republican appointees and how the complaint dropped right before Bove’s hearing.

The Guardian reported on texts showing DOJ officials knew they might have to ignore orders, and Bove’s denial under oath that he’d ever instructed attorneys to defy courts.

CBS News transcripts from 60 Minutes delve deeper, with Reuveni explaining his promotion that same March day turned sour at the Bove meeting.

He witnessed “a disregard of due process and for the rule of law.”

In another CBS piece, Bove argued Reuveni wasn’t in a position to bind department leadership.

Deputy AG Todd Blanche dismissed Reuveni’s claims as “falsehoods” from a “disgruntled former employee,” insisting no one suggested ignoring orders.

Yet, the whistleblower’s docs show repeated questions about misleading courts and false gang ties claims.

Garcia was eventually returned after a Supreme Court ruling but faces new deportation proceedings.

The Venezuelans were freed via a deal between El Salvador and Venezuela.

This saga raises big questions about accountability in the DOJ under Trump, especially with Bove now a lifetime judge.

As Durbin put it, this is a “litmus test” for Republicans on respecting the courts.

The full implications are still unfolding, but one thing’s clear: the rule of law took a hit in those frantic March days.

Also Read: Republicans Face Growing Backlash as Voters Blame Them for Govt. Shutdown

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