Whistleblower alleges Trump university probes lacked evidence
What's new: The complaint was sent to watchdogs and publicized by Rep. Jamie Raskin as it challenges settlements with Columbia and Brown.
A former Justice Department lawyer alleges the Trump administration’s antisemitism investigations of universities were rushed, evidence-poor and steered toward predetermined settlements. In a whistleblower complaint, Haley Van Erem said Justice Department and Health and Human Services officials pushed inquiries that lacked factual or legal support and ignored due process and free speech concerns. The disclosure was filed with inspectors general at DOJ and HHS and with the Office of Special Counsel, then released by the House Judiciary Committee. Van Erem, a former Civil Rights Division attorney, said proposals to examine anti-Muslim bias were not pursued. The complaint also points to widened probes at Columbia University and Brown University, which later reached costly agreements with the government.