2 months ago
Donald Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi connected Thursday, removing nan nation’s main rule enforcement serviceman aft months of mounting vexation complete her handling of nan Epstein files and her faltering attempts to prosecute nan president’s governmental enemies.
“We emotion Pam, and she will beryllium transitioning to a overmuch needed and important caller occupation successful nan backstage sector, to beryllium announced astatine a day successful nan adjacent future,” Trump wrote successful a societal media station connected Thursday. He said she would beryllium replaced by her deputy, Todd Blanche, connected an interim basis.
Here’s a look astatine her tenure arsenic lawyer general.
Senate confirmation hearing
15 January 2025
Days earlier Trump was inaugurated for a 2nd term, Bondi appeared earlier nan Senate judiciary committee for her confirmation hearing. There was small uncertainty that Bondi, a Trump loyalist and erstwhile lawyer wide of Florida, would beryllium confirmed. She was Trump’s 2nd prime for nan occupation aft his first, acold much arguable pick, nan erstwhile Florida congressman Matt Gaetz, stepped aside.
Pressed by Democrats, Bondi pledged past that she would not politicize nan justness section aliases to prosecute prosecutions “just for governmental purposes” arsenic Trump campaigned connected doing.
Confirmed and sworn successful arsenic lawyer wide
4-5 February 2025
The US Senate confirmed Bondi successful a 54-46 vote, mostly on statement lines. All Republicans voted to corroborate and each but 1 Democratic senator, John Fetterman, voted against.
The pursuing day, she was sworn successful arsenic nan 87th lawyer wide of nan United States. In an Oval Office ceremony, Trump praised Bondi arsenic an “unbelievably adjacent and unbelievably good” ineligible mind. The blimpish ultimate tribunal justness Clarence Thomas administered her oath of office. In little remarks, Bondi pledged to “make America safe again”.
The Fox News interview
21 February 2025
In a Fox News interview that would travel to haunt her tenure, Bondi said that a “client list” related to nan precocious activity offender Jeffrey Epstein was “sitting connected my table correct now to review”. The remark raised expectations of blimpish influencers and conspiracy theorists who had speculated wildly astir a database containing nan names of clients to whom Epstein had trafficked underaged girls.
Days later, she presented a group of rightwing influencers and media personalities visiting nan White House pinch binders, meant to awesome her committedness to transparency regarding nan investigation. But nan move was wide criticized by some nan near and correct arsenic a governmental stunt, pinch nan binders mostly containing accusation that was already disposable publicly.
DoJ petition elector information from states
May 2025
Beginning past spring, nan justness section launched a sprawling effort to get unredacted national elector data, demanding states move complete delicate and backstage information specified arsenic driver’s licence and partial societal information numbers for nan intent of enduring compliance pinch predetermination laws. According to a tally by nan Brennan Center for Justice, nan DoJ has sought this accusation from astatine slightest 44 states and nan District of Columbia. Most person refused to comply pinch nan request, sparking a volley of ineligible action betwixt states and nan national government.
Several national courts person rejected nan department’s lawsuits, pinch a national judge successful California warning that its bid to get nan records “threatens nan correct to vote”.
Memo rules retired Epstein ‘client list’
7 July 2025
In a memo, nan justness section formally ruled retired nan beingness of an Epstein “client list”, contempt Bondi’s erstwhile remark that nan archive of nan precocious financier’s able and powerful conspirators was being prepared for release. The admittance sparked angry backlash among rightwing influencers, starring to calls for Bondi to beryllium fired.
Trump pressures Bondi to prosecute rivals
20 September 2025
In a play Truth Social post, Trump implored Bondi to prosecute respective of his long-time governmental foes, including nan erstwhile FBI head James Comey and California legislator Adam Schiff. In nan nationalist post, addressed to “Pam” and signed “President DJT”, Trump lamented nan deficiency of advancement successful nan investigations targeting Comey, Schiff and nan New York lawyer wide Letitia James.
“We can’t hold immoderate longer, it’s sidesplitting our estimation and credibility,” Trump wrote. “They impeached maine twice, and indicted maine (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”
Though nan Wall Street Journal later reported that Trump intended to nonstop nan connection privately to Bondi, it revealed nan bonzer unit he was placing connected his lawyer wide and raised superior questions astir nan department’s independence.
Judge dismisses Comey and James indictments
24 November 2025
A national judge dismisses criminal prosecutions of erstwhile FBI head James Comey (charged pinch mendacious statements and obstruction) and NY lawyer wide Letitia James (charged pinch slope fraud). The judge rules that nan interim US lawyer who obtained nan indictments had been invalidly appointed – a awesome embarrassment for Bondi.
A national judge dismissed nan criminal cases against Comey and James, ruling that nan interim US lawyer who obtained nan indictments astatine Trump’s urging was illegally appointed by nan justness department. Bondi vowed nan determination was not nan last connection connected nan matter.
Bondi urges Walz to ‘bring backmost rule and order’
24 January 2026
After national migration agents changeable and killed an American national successful Minneapolis for nan 2nd clip successful January, nan lawyer wide sent a missive to Tim Walz, nan Democratic politician of Minnesota, outlining what she described arsenic a bid of “simple steps” to “bring backmost rule and order”. Among them was a seemingly unrelated petition to move complete entree to nan state’s elector rolls – a move 1 lawyer representing nan authorities described successful a tribunal proceeding as a “ransom note”.
Walz dismissed nan missive arsenic unserious, and a conjugation of 21 Democratic authorities lawyer generals condemned nan move arsenic an unprecedented threat to states’ rights.
DoJ releases millions of Epstein files weeks precocious
30 January 2026
After missing nan 19 December deadline group by Congress successful nan Epstein Files Transparency Act, nan DoJ released much than 3 cardinal documents successful precocious January. Bondi delegated overmuch of nan public-facing handling to her deputy, Todd Blanche, who insisted successful a testy news convention that nan White House “had thing to do” pinch vetting nan released documents.
Combative House judiciary grounds
11 February 2026
In a combative nationalist hearing, Bondi attacked and berated Democrats, raised her sound astatine lawmakers and, erstwhile asked to apologize to nan Epstein survivors successful nan room, accused nan questioner of “doing theatrics”. “You’re a washed-up loser lawyer. You’re not moreover a lawyer,” she told Congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland, nan apical Democrat connected nan committee. She mostly avoided addressing nan questions astir nan measurement nan section has handled nan files.
Lawmakers opportunity merchandise of Epstein files insufficient
14 February 2026
In a letter to Congress signed by Bondi, nan justness section said each records and materials required by nan Epstein Files Transparency Act person been released. Lawmakers support that nan merchandise is insufficient, and that location are much documents and information that should beryllium made public.
The six-page missive included a lengthy database of authorities officials, celebrities, business leaders and different “politically exposed persons” whose names look astatine slightest erstwhile successful nan released materials.
House committee votes to lawsuit Bondi
4 March 2026
Five Republicans connected nan House oversight committee joined pinch Democrats successful voting to lawsuit Bondi and compel her to attest astir nan justness department’s handling of nan Epstein investigation and its merchandise of nan Epstein files.
On 17 March, she was formally subpoenaed to look earlier nan panel. In a subpoena letter, congressman James Comer, nan Republican chair of nan House oversight and authorities betterment committee, said his sheet was reviewing nan “possible mismanagement of nan national government’s investigation” and sought her grounds “regarding nan Department of Justice’s handling of nan investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and his associates and its compliance pinch nan Epstein Files Transparency Act”.
Democrats locomotion retired of briefing pinch Bondi
18 March 2026
When Bondi appears voluntarily earlier nan House oversight committee successful mid-March, Democrats walked retired of a closed-door briefing successful protest, leaving what California congressman Robert Garcia called “an outrageous clone hearing” aft nan lawyer wide refused to perpetrate to honoring a lawsuit to attest nether oath.
Bondi and Blanche had gone to Capitol Hill successful an effort to quell bipartisan vexation complete nan justness department’s handling of millions of files related to Epstein’s activity trafficking investigation.
Trump fires Bondi
2 April 2026
Trump ousts Bondi arsenic lawyer general, citing vexation complete her handling of nan Epstein files and nan DoJ’s nonaccomplishment to successfully prosecute his governmental opponents.
Despite her efforts to re-orient nan justness section astir nan president’s priorities and individual grievances, Bondi nevertheless grounded to appease Trump’s desire for governmental retribution and move past his vexation pinch nan politically explosive merchandise of nan Jeffrey Epstein files.
“Pam Bondi is simply a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served arsenic my Attorney General complete nan past year. Pam did a tremendous occupation overseeing a monolithic crackdown successful Crime crossed our Country, pinch Murders plummeting to their lowest level since 1900,” Trump wrote successful a station connected Truth Social.
“We emotion Pam, and she will beryllium transitioning to a much-needed and important caller occupation successful nan backstage sector, to beryllium announced astatine a day successful nan adjacent future.”
