A former lawyer with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has published a whistleblower complaint accusing officials of intentionally ignoring court orders that might impede US President Donald Trump’s campaign for mass deportation.
On Tuesday, representatives for Erez Reuveni filed a 35-page letter of complaint detailing the lawyer’s allegations against the Trump administration.
It offers a look at the debates and divisions unfolding behind the scenes at the Justice Department, as it defends Trump’s efforts to arrest and rapidly deport non-citizens, a process that has spurred concern about rights violations.
Members of the Trump administration have “engaged in unlawful activity, abused their authority, [and] created substantial and specific threat to health and safety”, according to the letter.
As a result, it says, “Mr Reuveni is exercising his rights … to report wrongdoing”.
The letter was addressed to members of Congress, as well as the inspector general for the Justice Department, who investigates allegations of misconduct within the bureau. Reuveni was ultimately fired in April.
One administration official who features prominently in his allegations is Emil Bove, who formerly served as Trump’s personal lawyer. Bove helped to defend Trump against criminal charges last year in New York, where he was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business documents.
Trump has since named Bove to be part of his administration in his second term as president. For the...
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