Trump investigations into antisemitism in the Ivy League were ploys to strip school funding, whistleblower claims

Trump investigations into antisemitism in the Ivy League were ploys to strip school funding, whistleblower claims While Trump returned to office promising to eliminate campus antisemitism that he claimed went unchecked during the Biden administration, critics maintain the federal intervention has been heavy-handed, infringing upon free expression and forcing concessions from higher education institutions - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments A former federal attorney has filed a whistleblower disclosure alleging that a specialized task force launched under President Donald Trump forced settlements upon Ivy League universities despite relying on investigations that were hurried, incomplete, or incapable of proving legal violations. The complaint asserts that federal reviews into some of the country's most prominent universities were intended to coerce institutions into making political concessions. It alleges that the results were "predetermined, without regard to the evidence" as part of a "politically mandated effort" to extract financial settlements and freeze grant money under the pretext of combating antisemitism. Formed in February 2025 within the Justice Department under then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, the multi-agency group operated with "extraordinary procedural irregularities, predetermined outcomes without factual or legal support" and a disregard for statutory and constitutional law, according to legal filings seeking inspector general inquiries. The allegations feed into an ongoing debate regarding the administration's aggressive actions against reported antisemitism on college campuses, an issue that intensified during protests over Israel's military actions in Gaza. While Trump returned to office promising to eliminate campus antisemitism that he claimed went unchecked during the Biden administration, critics maintain the federal intervention has been heavy-handed, infringing upon free expression and forcing concessions from higher education institutions. A prominent congressional Democrat is bringing attention to the whistleblower’s claims. Attorneys representing former Justice Department lawyer Haley Van Erem submitted the formal complaint on Tuesday to inspectors general at the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services, alongside the Office of Special Counsel. Van Erem served nearly a decade within the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division before being detailed to the antisemitism task force last year. She departed the department in May 2025, stating she was "unwilling to be made vulnerable to further participation in politically motivated investigations unsupported by facts and contrary to law," according to the filing, which also claims the task force improperly targeted Muslim faculty members. Spokespersons for both the Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately reply to requests for comment on Tuesday. Rep. Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, sent a separate letter to Harmeet Dhillon, who serves as the assistant attorney general leading the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division and has been a central figure in the administration's campaign. Raskin noted that antisemitism at universities and medical schools represents a serious concern that warrants thorough review. "But," he told Dhillon, "your 'investigation’ into antisemitism was fake, a pre-baked frame-up operation thoroughly political in nature." Raskin added that "the whole project was designed to harass professors and administrators at major universities, to curtail their freedom of speech and academic freedom, and to strip targeted institutions of hundreds of millions of dollars in grants that they had already been awarded on the merits of their applications." The whistleblower complaint focuses primarily on federal actions directed at three Ivy League institutions: Brown, Harvard, and Columbia. In the case of Brown University, the complaint states that investigators found no evidence demonstrating a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in federally funded programs. However, "leadership refused to permit a notice of no violation and instead sought some form of settlement or resolution despite acknowledging the absence of a legal basis for doing so." At Columbia University, investigators did identify evidence of discrimination, but the complaint contends the review was rushed prior to adequate factual development or legal analysis, relying on claims that "were unsupported, based on news reports or litigation filings, or that implicated protected First Amendment activity." Columbia ultimately agreed to pay $200 million to restore its access to federal funding. Brown separately agreed to pay $50 million to workforce development entities in Rhode Island to resolve three federal investigations involving allegations of antisemitism and admissions bias, without any admission or finding of legal liability. Regarding Harvard University, administration officials discussed "extraordinary funding freezes and sweeping proposed settlement terms" before completing an investigation that could substantiate Title VI violations. Sean Keveney, then-HHS acting general counsel, remarked that he anticipated Harvard would settle because they were "over a barrel," according to the complaint. A federal judge previously directed the Trump administration to reinstate more than $2.6 billion in research funding to Harvard, ruling that the government "used antisemitism as a smokescreen for a targeted, ideologically-motivated assault on this country’s premier universities." A separate federal judge last week threw out a lawsuit brought by the Trump administration that alleged Harvard had turned a blind eye to the harassment of Jewish students. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments