A former Justice Department lawyer, identified as Haley Van Erem, filed a whistleblower complaint alleging that a federal task force created in February 2025 to address antisemitism on college campuses was used as a political tool to extract money from Ivy League institutions. The complaint, obtained by the Associated Press, says the investigations were rushed, incomplete and predetermined, with the goal of forcing settlements and funding freezes.
Task force origins and alleged misconduct
The multi‑agency task force was launched by the Justice Department under then‑Attorney General Pam Bondi. According to the complaint, the team’s work was marked by “extraordinary procedural irregularities” and outcomes that were set without factual or legal support. Van Erem, who spent nearly a decade in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division before being reassigned to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), says she was asked to investigate alleged antisemitism at medical school commencement ceremonies and later at the entire universities of Columbia and Brown.
Allegations of political pressure and settlement demands
The whistleblower asserts that officials sought to “strong‑arm” the schools into settlements for political purposes. In the Brown case, investigators reportedly found no evidence of a Title VI violation, yet university leadership allegedly refused to issue a notice of no violation and instead pursued a settlement despite acknowledging a lack of legal basis.
At Columbia, the complaint says investigators found some evidence of discrimination but proceeded on an accelerated timetable before adequate factual development and legal review were completed. The investigation allegedly relied on news reports and litigation filings, and it implicated protected First Amendment activity.
Harvard’s investigation, according to the filing, involved discussions of “extraordinary funding freezes and sweeping proposed settlement terms” before any determination of Title VI violations. HHS acting general counsel Sean Keveney is quoted in the complaint as believing Harvard would settle because it was “over a barrel.”
Financial outcomes and judicial rulings
Columbia University agreed to a $200 million payment to restore access to federal funding. Brown University paid $50 million to Rhode Island workforce‑development organizations to end three federal investigations, despite no finding of wrongdoing. A federal judge previously ordered the administration to reverse more than $2.6 billion in research‑fund cuts to Harvard, stating the government used antisemitism as a “smokescreen” for an ideologically motivated assault on premier universities. Another judge recently dismissed a lawsuit accusing Harvard of ignoring harassment of Jewish students.
Responses from officials
Justice Department spokesperson Kiersten Pels said the department “stands behind the integrity” of its investigations. The HHS spokesperson did not immediately respond. Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, wrote to Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, calling the investigations a “pre‑baked frame‑up operation” designed to harass professors, curb free speech and strip institutions of federal grants.
Broader context
The complaint arrives amid ongoing national debate over how the federal government addresses alleged antisemitism on college campuses, especially following campus protests related to the war in Gaza. President Donald Trump has emphasized a goal of rooting out antisemitism, arguing that previous administrations failed to act. Critics contend that the administration’s approach may infringe on free‑speech rights and constitute coercive use of federal funding.
The whistleblower’s filing was submitted to the inspectors general at the Justice and Health and Human Services departments, as well as to the Office of Special Counsel, seeking watchdog investigations into the alleged misconduct.
Original reporting: NBC6 Miami — read the source article.
