A former Justice Department lawyer, identified as Haley Van Erem, filed a whistleblower complaint alleging that a task force created in February 2025 to combat antisemitism was used to pressure Ivy League universities into costly settlements. The complaint, obtained by the Associated Press, says the investigations were rushed, incomplete and lacked legal basis, yet were used to freeze funding and demand large payments.
Task force origins and alleged misconduct
The multi‑agency task force was launched by then‑Attorney General Pam Bondi. According to the complaint, the team’s work was marked by “extraordinary procedural irregularities” and outcomes that were predetermined without regard to evidence. Lawyers for Van Erem argue the effort was a politically mandated operation aimed at extracting money from schools under the pretext of rooting out antisemitism.
Specific university cases
Brown University reportedly agreed to pay $50 million to Rhode Island workforce‑development organizations to end three federal investigations, despite no finding of wrongdoing. Columbia University settled for $200 million to restore access to federal funding after an accelerated investigation that, the complaint says, relied on news reports and unverified allegations. Harvard was pressured with “extraordinary funding freezes” and proposed settlement terms before any determination of Title VI violations, according to the complaint.
Legal and congressional response
A federal judge last year ordered the administration to reverse more than $2.6 billion in research‑fund cuts to Harvard, describing the use of antisemitism as a “smokescreen” for an ideologically motivated assault on the university. Another judge recently dismissed a lawsuit accusing Harvard of ignoring harassment of Jewish students.
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.
Whistleblower’s background and filing
Van Erem spent nearly a decade in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division before being reassigned to the Department of Health and Human Services to work on Title VI investigations. She left the Justice Department in May 2025, stating she could not continue participating in politically motivated investigations that she believed were unsupported by facts and contrary to law. The disclosure was filed with the inspectors general of the Justice and Health and Human Services departments, as well as the Office of Special Counsel.
The Justice Department spokesperson said the department “stands behind the integrity” of its investigations, while the Health and Human Services spokesperson did not immediately respond.
Original reporting: NBC Connecticut — read the source article.
