Attorneys at the US Department of Justice have said they were pressured by the Trump administration to accuse the University of California of discriminating against Jewish students and staff, even before facts were established. Nine former DoJ lawyers told the Los Angeles Times the investigation was politically driven, with outcomes effectively decided in advance. All of them eventually resigned, with one describing the probe as a “hit job.”

The investigation focused on allegations of antisemitism during pro-Pales-tinian protests across UC campuses, part of a wider wave of student demonstrations against the war on Ga-za. Former DoJ lawyer Jen Swedish said political appointees shaped the conclusion from the outset. Attorneys involved described rushed inquiries where political objectives outweighed evidence, despite acknowledging that Jewish students and staff did face discrimination in some cases.

The Trump administration had demanded UCLA pay a $1bn fine and adopt new policies to restore over $500m in federal grants, but a federal judge later blocked those measures, ruling the government used civil rights investigations to force universities to change their ideological stance. UCLA paid $6.5m to settle a lawsuit by Jewish students and a professor, while also facing a separate lawsuit from pro-Pales-tinian protesters over a violent attack on demonstrators. The DoJ and the University of California declined to comment.