Trump fires Pam Bondi as US attorney-general; Lee Zeldin tipped as successor
Updated ,first published
Washington: US President Donald Trump fired the attorney general, Pam Bondi, after a tumultuous year in which she oversaw the release of the so-called Epstein Files and ill-fated attempts to prosecute her boss’s political enemies.
Bondi was reportedly notified of the termination on Wednesday (Washington time) and flew back to Florida.
“Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend who has faithfully served as my Attorney General for the past year,” Trump said on social media.
“Pam has done a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown on Crime across our Country, with homicides falling to their lowest levels since 1900.
“We love Pam and she will be transitioning to a much-needed and important new job in the private sector, which will be announced in the near future.”
The president announced that deputy attorney general Todd Blanche, formerly one of Trump’s personal attorneys, will serve as acting attorney general.
“We will continue to support blue, enforce the law, and do everything we can to keep America safe,” Blanche said, thanking Bondi for her “strength and faith.”
Some news outlets in the US have reported that Lee Zeldin, currently administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, is one of the candidates to replace Bondi permanently.
Bondi was one of the most qualified members of Trump’s cabinet, having served eight years as Florida attorney general in the 2010s.
Although Trump had publicly praised Bondi as recently as this week, there has been a question mark over her conduct since last year, with the president publicly and privately dissatisfied with how she handles sensitive issues.
Trump in September He published a message from his Truth Social account He called out “Pam,” to whom he expressed frustration at delays in filing criminal charges against political enemies such as former FBI director James Comey and New York attorney general Letitia James.
“We cannot delay any longer, it is killing our reputation and credibility,” Trump wrote at the time. “They accused me twice and bet me for NOTHING (5 times!). JUSTICE MUST BE DELIVERED NOW!!!”
Some news outlets later reported that Trump’s post was a private, direct message. She followed up with a post praising Bondi.
Weeks later, Bondi’s Ministry of Justice grand jury secures indictment He accused Comey of making false statements to Congress. James was also accused.
But the prosecution case collapsed after the judge found Trump’s handpicked prosecutor, Lindsey Halligan. illegally appointed to office. The judge ruled that Halligan lacked “legal authority” to bring charges against Comey and James and dismissed the cases.
Bondi was also responsible for the Justice Department’s management of the Epstein Files. Last July, he angered some in the MAGA community by announcing that all relevant documents had been released after promising to release files such as Epstein’s so-called “client list.”
After Congress passed a law requiring the full release of the Epstein documents to the public, Bondi’s department released millions more pages.
These emails and photos exposed the full extent of the relationships between convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and many high-profile individuals, many of whom lost their jobs or were forced to make public apologies.
The Republican-dominated House Oversight Committee last month Voted to subpoena Bondi to testify about his handling of the saga.
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Michael Koziol is the North America correspondent for The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former Sydney editor, Sun-Herald deputy editor and a federal political correspondent in Canberra.Connect with: X or email.
