A DOJ whistleblower describes the Trump administration's contempt for the rule of law
It includes a "fuck you" to court orders
In the wake of Trump v. CASA, the case in which the Supreme Court closed off a major pathway for injunctive relief against unconstitutional executive actions, evidence has come to light that the Department of Justice (DOJ) officials lied to a federal judge, floated saying “fuck you” to court orders, and fired a senior DOJ lawyer for failing to fall in line with the administration’s contemptuous agenda.
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On June 24, Eriz Reuvini, a former attorney with the DOJ, filed a whistleblower complaint warning Congress and the DOJ’s inspector General in a 35-page letter that the Trump administration is defying court orders and forcing DOJ attorneys to either support the administration’s scheme or lose their jobs.
This isn’t exactly a shocker, given the Trump administration’s very brazen and public defiance of constitutional rights like due process and free speech, as well as its disdain for acts of Congress like those creating agencies such as USAID.
But many people still optimistically insist that the courts remain a check on this presidency. That’s fine, and I agree that for the most part, the lower federal courts are doing their job to duly apply the law to the government of Donald J. Trump. (The Supreme Court is another story.)
That doesn’t mean we can sit back and wait this one out, however, hoping that the courts and the midterms will just set everything straight. We all have to get involved somehow. Every one of us. And if that means continuing to read depressing news, that’s part of the business of protecting our liberties and our rights. We have to stay informed, as hard as it is, if nothing else.
The DOJ whistleblower’s complaint is important because it is a window into the thinking of top DOJ leaders when it comes to their obligation to abide by the law and court orders. Lawyers are key to our system of justice. If DOJ lawyers aren’t invested in the rule of law, the rule of law cannot survive—even if judges try to do the right thing.
So thank you for reading on.
I first wrote about this in a column for Zeteo, linked below.
What did Reuvini say in his letter?
The letter details the events leading up to and following Reuvini’s termination from the DOJ. The incident was sparked by the wrongful deportation of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia. As many of you remember, Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador, despite a judge’s order from 2019 that declared him non-removable to El Salvador.
Abrego Garcia has been returned to the United States after DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin previously stated that “this illegal alien is exactly where he belongs—home in El Salvador.” Abrego Garcia is now waiting for U.S. District Court Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr. to decide whether he will be released, and possibly (likely) sent back into ICE custody where he will face deportation to a country other than El Salvador or remain in detention on the criminal charges.
Reuvini submitted his whistleblower complaint after he was fired from the role of Acting Deputy Director for the DOJ’s Office of Immigration Litigation. Reuvini was terminated for allegedly failing to “zealously advocate” on behalf of the United States and for arguing “against Homeland Security and [the] State Department” when he told a federal judge at an April 4 hearing that Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia was unlawfully removed to CECOT prison in El Salvador.
On March 14, 2025, the day Reuveni received notice of his promotion to the Acting Deputy Director position, he was summoned to a meeting of DOJ officials that included Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, who is also a nominee for a federal judgeship on the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
The meeting took place after the news broke that Trump planned to sign a proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act in an effort to summarily remove people from the United States. According to Reuveni, Bove said at the meeting that planes containing people would be taking off over the weekend “no matter what,” and that if a judge ordered the removals stopped, “DOJ would need to consider telling the courts ‘fuck you’ and ignore any such court order.” Bove’s comments left Reuveni and others “stunned.”
After the meeting Reuveni reportedly “directly witnessed and reported” officials at DOJ “ignoring court orders,” “presenting ‘legal’ arguments with no basis in law,” “misrepresenting facts presented before courts,” and directing him “to misrepresent facts in one of these cases in violation of [his] legal and ethical duties as an officer of a court.”
According to Reuveni it was his “internal reporting and ultimately his refusal to obey this illegal order directly resulted in his suspension and termination.”
In other words, this former DOJ attorney claims that he was fired for refusing to go along with the administration’s directives to ignore court orders, present frivolous and baseless legal arguments, and misrepresent facts to the court. He also refused to violate his professional ethical responsibilities as an attorney.
Why is this such a big deal?
If the leaders of the Justice Department are in fact determined to disregard the law, lie to judges, ignore court orders, and fire anyone who gets in the way, we are in serious trouble. And when I say we, I mean everyone.
If lawyers are being fired for honoring their legal and ethical obligations to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, Congress needs to wake up and act. If we indeed are a country that prioritizes the rule of law and ethics, Congress should be investigating the president and his top officials for possible impeachment. Our legislatures would be passing laws that make it crystal clear: federal courts may issue orders to keep the Executive Branch in line with the rule of law and the Constitution.
But I have never interacted with the courts, so why should I care about this?
If we turn into a country that does not prioritize the authority of the law, everyone will feel the effects regardless of who you are or what you do. The rule of law is pivotal to a functioning democracy because it means that everyone—including the president—is bound by legal authorities designed to disincentivize criminal behavior.
If we create exceptions for the president and his administration to violate the law in the name of party loyalty, the exceptions will trickle down. And eventually, there will be little regard for the constitutional protections we all benefit from. Protections such as the freedom from unlawful searches and seizures, the freedom to express our opinions, our freedom of education. The list goes on.
Human beings, if given power, are prone to amass more, entrench it, and ultimately abuse it. James Madison understood this, famously writing in Federalist No. 51 that “[i]f men were angels, no government would be necessary.” Without a serious means of enforcing the Constitution, it amounts to nothing but a scrap of paper, and the rights it was meant to guarantee become confetti.
Perhaps Trump will at some point decide that he has enough power or that there are ethical lines he simply won’t cross. Of course that sentiment is nothing but a coping mechanism to deal with the reality that he was elected because of his willingness to test the boundaries and destroy things—not because of strong personal values. He is giving the voters exactly what they asked for.
What’s the takeaway?
The actions of Trump and this administration are cause for great alarm, and not just for those who fear immediate attacks on their citizenship or their status in this country. There are millions of Americans who are going about their daily lives blocking out the noise and shutting their eyes because it’s “too much.” They fail to grasp the seriousness of these constant headlines. These are not some news story that will go away soon. You are not untouchable despite the fact that you might not be in a real danger of being arrested and sent off to a country where you possibly have never been before. These are warning signs, and if ignored we will find all find ourselves wishing we hadn’t.
Thank you for having the courage to read my newsletter, once again. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your ongoing support.
Follow the facts,
KW
My latest book is Pardon Power: How the Pardon System Works—and Why.
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Sadly but clearly, we are no longer a functioning democracy. Lower courts that are holding the line are meaningless when consistently overridden by a complicit Supreme Court, which is the Trump path to conquest. Bove, despite his demonstrated unfitness and fundamental vileness, with get at least 51 votes, move onto the appeals court, and await his SCOTUS appointment. Maybe Cannon will give him a run for his money, having proven her subservience.
Again, thank you, Ms Wehle, for this article.
As you note, "But many people still optimistically insist that the courts remain a check on this presidency. That’s fine, and I agree that for the most part, the lower federal courts are doing their job to duly apply the law to the government of Donald J. Trump. (The Supreme Court is another story.)
That doesn’t mean we can sit back and wait this one out, however, hoping that the courts and the midterms will just set everything straight. We all have to get involved somehow....
The DOJ whistleblower’s complaint is important because it is a window into the thinking of top DOJ leaders when it comes to their obligation to abide by the law and court orders. Lawyers are key to our system of justice. If DOJ lawyers aren’t invested in the rule of law, the rule of law cannot survive—even if judges try to do the right thing."
The agency, personal choice conscientious agency, which each of us is presumed to have within the context of our constitutional system of self-governance is the tool ready for use by us. This personal agency is what each of us has, innately, to respect and to cooperate with each other with.
The rule of law agreement, and specific not-to-be-messed-with explicit assertions, e.g., due process, equal inclusive application of law, ..., -- this agreement affords us the common and secure political space to consciously and decisively to act cooperatively for our common interests and against the common dangers posed by this Trump administration and its constellation of anti-democratic supporters.