Whistleblower: Trump judicial nominee told US attorneys to defy court orders

DOJ Whistleblower: Trump judicial nominee told US attorneys to defy court orders.

Trump admin to give $30M to Gaza aid scheme which UN calls “a death trap”.

In nearly 15 years as an attorney for the Department of Justice, Erez Reuveni built a stellar reputation, earning praise and commendations even from political appointees during the first Trump administration. In April, he admitted in court to a judge that Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia had been deported to El Salvador in error, despite being under a protective order. Shortly thereafter, Reuveni was put on leave, ridiculed by high-ranking members of the Trump administration, and was later fired.

Reuveni’s former boss Emil Bove, who effectively led the DOJ before Attorney General Kim Bondi was confirmed, has been nominated to serve as a judge on the US Court of Appeals-Third Circuit. The day before Bove is scheduled to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Reuveni has submitted a whistleblower complaint against Bove which contains some damning allegations.

Among other things, Reuveni alleges that Bove encouraged DOJ attorneys to defy court orders and withhold information from judges. According to the complaint, Bove said the department needed to consider telling judges “f*ck you” and “ignore” any orders blocking deportation flights.

Through an attorney, Bove denied Reuveni’s allegations.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, urged his Republican colleagues not to “turn a blind eye” to Reuveni’s allegations. Durbin’s statement also mentions that Bove had also abused his power by dismissing federal charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams “for blatantly corrupt reasons”. In a clear quid pro quo, DOJ attorneys explicitly stated they wished to dismiss the charges against Adams so that he could assist in Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Trump admin to give $30M to Gaza aid scheme which UN calls “a death trap”

Less than a month ago, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began operations in Gaza as part of a scheme to replace UN-backed aid organizations serving Palestinians in the Strip. The GHF was founded with diplomatic backing from the US, which has coordinated private US mercenaries to man the aid posts with support from the Israel Defense Forces. As of June 23, over 400 Palestinians had been killed in near-daily massacres by the IDF while seeking food aid at GHF stations since GHF began operations. In the last 24 hours alone, 56 more aid seekers were killed.

Philippe Lazzarini, who leads the UN Relief and Works Agency (the aid organization GHF seeks to supplant) has condemned the GHF scheme as “a death trap costing more lives than it saves”. Despite this deplorable record, the Trump administration plans to provide $30 million in funds to GHF.

Earlier this week, 15 international humanitarian organizations warned contractors working for GHF that they may be liable for “aiding and abetting or otherwise being complicit in crimes under international law, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide”.

Israel hasn’t limited attacks on aid seekers to GHF sites. Last week, Israeli tanks fired on and killed 59 people and injured over 200 people who were waiting for aid at a World Food Program site.

A man at Nasser hospital, where many victims are brought for treatment, implored parents not to send their children to these aid sites. “Youngsters who are barely 17 are dying in vain, just to get some hummus or a bag of flour to feed their families,” the man said. “The Israeli army lies in wait to kill them as you can see here. Look at the victims here. Most of them have been shot in their heads. This American charity is a trap of those youngsters. Young people in their prime are dying. This is a trap”.

People in Gaza are aware of the dangers, but have been presented with a stark choice: risk their lives by going to the aid sites, or watch their families starve.