WASHINGTON — Sen. Chris Van Hollen questioned U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on a Department of Justice whistleblower during a congressional hearing on Wednesday, bringing up the latest move in the ongoing legal battle between the federal government and the Maryland court system that began with the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

The whistleblower was fired from the department in April after saying in federal court that President Donald Trump’s administration made a mistake in deporting Abrego Garcia to El Salvador. Bondi later indicated the firing was because the whistleblower, Erez Reuvini, didn’t zealously advocate on behalf of the United States.

“I assume you agree that ‘zealous advocacy’ does not mean telling untruths to courts of law,” said Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, referring to a comment Bondi made about the whistleblower’s termination. “What did you mean by saying he was not a zealous advocate?”

Bondi told Van Hollen she couldn’t discuss pending litigation. She added that the timing of the complaint was “suspect.”

In his complaint, Reuvini alleged that Emil Bove, a high-ranking DOJ official, had indicated a willingness to ignore court orders to carry out President Donald Trump’s deportation plans. The Trump administration denied the claims, characterizing Reuvini as a disgruntled former employee and the claims as “utterly false.”

Trump nominated Bove to become a federal appeals court judge in May. While Bondi spoke with members of a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee, Bove sat with the Senate Judiciary Committee as they considered his nomination. Senators specifically questioned him on the whistleblower’s claims.

Bondi emphatically defended Bove during her hearing, calling him one of the best human beings and one of the smartest men she knows.

“I stand by Emil Bove and I stand by [Deputy Attorney General] Todd Blanche every day, and I always will,” Bondi said. She also told Van Hollen that he had her word that “any zealous advocacy means to be done ethically and honestly, always.”

“I wish I could get into greater detail, but I can’t because it’s pending,” Bondi added.

Reuvini, a former DOJ attorney, submitted the complaint to the House and Senate Judiciary committees on Tuesday.

As acting deputy attorney general, Bove abruptly ended the federal investigation into New York City Mayor Eric Adams, but only after lower-level department lawyers refused to do so. Multiple attorneys resigned rather than dismiss the case. He also fired a group of prosecutors who were involved in the Jan. 6 criminal cases.

The hearing was meant to focus on the department’s budgetary needs for the upcoming fiscal year. However, funding often took a backseat, with lawmakers from both parties asking questions about several issues that fall within the department’s jurisdiction.

Earlier in the hearing, Van Hollen, the ranking member of the subcommittee, said that the DOJ was “failing” and that its budget request would “make a bad situation even worse.” Trump requested $33.6 billion for the department in fiscal year 2026 — a $2.5 billion cut from its 2025 funding level.

“We are witnessing a level of lawlessness from this administration that is unprecedented in scale and scope,” Van Hollen said in his opening statement.

Van Hollen later referred to the administration’s lawsuit against Maryland’s federal judges, which seeks to end a recent rule that grants immigrants facing deportation one day of protection from removal. The administration filed the suit on Tuesday night.

“My primary objective as attorney general is to return the department to its core mission of keeping Americans safe and vigorously enforcing the law,” Bondi said during her opening statement. “This budget will allow us to continue to do just that.”

Republican lawmakers raised concerns about security for Americans in the wake of the United States bombing Iranian nuclear facilities and America’s Jewish population, referencing multiple recent attacks on Jewish people who were targeted because of their ethnicity.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, urged Bondi to reinstitute security details for former Trump officials who served in his first administration. Several former officials had their security details canceled earlier in Trump’s second administration, including those who were reportedly Iranian targets.

Many Democrats expressed frustration with the department’s recent actions, including their involvement in the administration’s deportation efforts, the firing of Reuvini, and whether or not the department will follow court orders.

_____

©2025 The Baltimore Sun. Visit at baltimoresun.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.