A day before Emil Bove III appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on his nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, a 27-page whistle-blower complaint accused the senior Justice Department official of urging colleagues to flout federal court orders. Former career lawyer Erez Reuveni, fired in April after raising concerns about a wrongful deportation, told lawmakers and the Justice Department’s inspector general that Bove said at a 14 March meeting the department should consider telling judges “f*** you” and proceed with flights removing alleged gang members under the Alien Enemies Act, even if an injunction were issued.
Reuveni’s filing depicts a broader pattern in which political appointees allegedly stonewalled judges, misrepresented facts and pressed subordinates to lie to keep the deportation operation on track. He asserts he was dismissed after refusing to sign a brief he believed contained false statements. The complaint, circulated on 24 June, prompted Senate Democrats to seek Bove’s personnel records and any internal misconduct findings from his earlier tenure as a federal prosecutor in New York.
Testifying on 25 June, Bove denied ever advising government lawyers to violate court rulings, telling senators he has “never advised a Department of Justice attorney to violate a court order” and declaring, “I am not anybody’s henchman.” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who attended the hearing, called the whistle-blower’s assertions “utterly false.”
Democratic members, including Senators Cory Booker and Dick Durbin, said the allegations underscored what they view as Bove’s disregard for the rule of law, citing his role in dismissing a corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams and firing prosecutors who handled January 6 investigations. Republicans praised Bove’s record as a terrorism prosecutor and personal lawyer to President Donald Trump. With a 53-47 GOP majority, Bove could be confirmed, but the committee signaled it will continue to probe the whistle-blower’s claims before scheduling a vote.
COLUMN: MAGA wants to make the DOJ whistleblower look disgruntled. Former colleagues paint him as a fierce advocate for Trump policies, Ankush Khardori writes.
This coordinated and desperate operation to sabotage Bove’s confirmation cannot be rewarded by Senate Republicans.
Politico asked a judge for whom the “whistleblower” worked almost 20 years ago to “vouch” for his credibility. They must be really afraid of something.