U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi allegedly pressured Department of Justice lawyers to compromise their ethics to serve President Donald Trump's political goals, according to a new complaint filed with the Florida Bar.
Bondi has been praised by conservatives for her loyalty to Trump's second-term agenda. But critics say she has politicized the Justice Department and undermined its independence.
The controversy centers around Bondi's February 5 memo, which the complaint alleged that she urged DOJ staff to engage in "zealous advocacy" for Trump's policies, the Miami Herald reported. In response, a bipartisan coalition of about 70 legal professionals, including former Florida Supreme Court justices, filed an ethics complaint alleging Bondi misused her authority.
The complaint alleged Bondi "sought to compel Department of Justice lawyers to violate their ethical obligations" or face discipline if they did not "zealously pursue the President's political objectives."
It details three key incidents: the firing of an immigration attorney who opposed the wrongful deportation of a Maryland man, the resignation of a prosecutor who refused to launch a baseless investigation into a Biden-era EPA contract, and the dismissal of senior prosecutors who resisted dropping corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams.
In each case, the complaint alleges that Bondi and her deputies coerced legal staff into putting Trump's political interests ahead of legal integrity.
Justice Department officials dismissed the complaint as a partisan attack. A spokesperson for Bondi called it "vexatious" and accused the signatories of lacking credibility.
Meanwhile, the Florida Bar has not commented on whether it will launch a formal investigation.
Originally published on Latin Times
