During her confirmation hearing, Attorney General Pam Bondi promised to protect independence at the Department of Justice, avoid politicization, and increase transparency. She pledged to serve as the people’s lawyer, not the President’s personal attorney. Instead, she’s done the exact opposite: bringing conflicts of interest and a pattern of serving powerful interests over the public good that defined her career as a lobbyist for dozens of clients with business before the federal government.
Under Bondi’s leadership, the DOJ has grown more politicized, less transparent, and more willing to push the limits of federal power over elections and immigration enforcement. Bondi has presided over a Justice Department that practices a two-tier system of justice – weaponizing federal authority against Trump’s critics and perceived enemies as well as vulnerable populations, while protecting Trump allies and those who serve the administration’s agenda.
Here’s where Bondi’s record contradicts her commitments:
BONDI PROMISED TO AVOID POLITICIZATION
WHAT BONDI PROMISED: During her confirmation hearing, Bondi pledged to end the politicization of the Justice Department, declaring that “the partisanship, the weaponization will be gone” and promising that “no one will be prosecuted because of their political views.” She insisted that “every case will be prosecuted based on the facts and the law.”
WHAT BONDI DELIVERED: The DOJ under Bondi has repeatedly targeted President Trump’s political adversaries for investigation and prosecution. One analysis by Protect Democracy identified 19 instances of “retaliatory investigations, arrests, or prosecutions” by the Trump administration during Bondi’s tenure as Attorney General.
- Trump Prosecutors and Investigators: The Department investigated Jack Smith, the former Special Counsel who led the election interference case against Trump.
- Trump Critics in Congress: The Department investigated Sen. Adam Schiff on allegations of mortgage fraud after Trump publicly called on Bondi to charge Schiff, who led Trump’s first impeachment.
- State Officials Who Investigated Trump: After Trump publicly called on Bondi to pursue charges, the Department pursued an indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James, who had previously brought a civil fraud case against Trump.
- Federal Reserve Leadership: The Department threatened a criminal indictment against Jerome Powell, Chair of the Federal Reserve, whom Trump has repeatedly attacked, and similarly first targeted Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.
BONDI PROMISED TRANSPARENCY ON EPSTEIN FILES
WHAT BONDI PROMISED: Bondi pledged transparency on the Epstein files and compliance with recordkeeping laws. She stated the DOJ would follow through on “lifting the veil on the disgusting actions of Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirators” and promised to “abide by all relevant and applicable recordkeeping laws in all circumstances.”
WHAT BONDI DELIVERED: Despite a federal law requiring the DOJ to release Epstein-related materials by December 19, 2025, the Department under Bondi had only made a fraction of the documents available over a month later.
- This delay prompted members of Congress to threaten Bondi with contempt proceedings.
- Critics also allege that the published files deliberately omit communications from Bondi herself relating to the case.
BONDI CLAIMED TO SUPPORT ACCOUNTABILITY
WHAT BONDI PROMISED: Bondi pledged accountability for law enforcement misconduct, stating: “Prosecutors will be prosecuted, if bad. Investigators will be investigated…None of us are above the law.”
WHAT BONDI DELIVERED: In two high-profile Minnesota cases, the Department of Justice protected federal agents involved in killings rather than holding them accountable.
- In the Renee Good case, the DOJ refused to open a civil rights investigation into the ICE agent who killed a Minnesota resident. Instead, the Department of Justice under Bondi sought to investigate Good’s widow.
- In the Alex Pretti case, also in Minneapolis, the DOJ refused to conduct an FBI-led civil rights investigation. Instead, the department allowed DHS to investigate itself – breaking with standard DOJ policy and raising concerns about evidence destruction.
- In both cases, the DOJ declined to conduct FBI-led civil rights investigations, instead allowing DHS to investigate itself in violation of normal DOJ protocols.
- This pattern of protecting federal agents led to at least six prosecutors to resign from the Minnesota US Attorney’s office in protest.
BONDI PROMISED TO PROTECT VOTING RIGHTS
WHAT BONDI PROMISED: Bondi pledged to enforce voting rights “in a fair and impartial manner” and promised not to “interfere with the lawful tabulation and certification of election results.”
WHAT BONDI DELIVERED: Under Bondi, the DOJ has launched a campaign to pressure state governments into turning over voters’ private registration data as part of “coordinated efforts to re-litigate President Donald Trump’s false claims that ballot tampering in Fulton County and elsewhere cost him the 2020 election.”
- Bondi’s push for access to state voter rolls led to an FBI-executed search warrant on election offices in Fulton County, Georgia. Agents seized 700 boxes of 2020 election records.
- The warrant was reportedly filed shortly after the firing of a senior FBI agent who raised concerns about the search.
BONDI CLAIMED CIVIL RIGHTS WOULD REMAIN KEY PART OF DOJ MISSION
WHAT BONDI PROMISED: Bondi affirmed that civil rights enforcement was “a critical mission of the Justice Department” and pledged that the Civil Rights Division’s work enforcing anti discrimination laws would remain “a key part of the Department of Justice’s mission to uphold the rule of law.”
WHAT BONDI DELIVERED: Under Bondi’s watch, the Civil Rights Division has been decimated.
- In December 2025, dozens of former Civil Rights Division attorneys signed an open letter decrying the “near destruction” of the Division under Bondi.
- The signatories pointed to the abandonment of “much of the Division’s most impactful work,” including Bondi’s personal dismissal of voting rights and sexual abuse lawsuits.
- Career attorneys described the reassignment of the Division’s “most senior, experienced career leaders” as part of a “coordinated effort to drive them out.”
- By August 2025, roughly 75% of career civil rights lawyers had left the Civil Rights Division as a result of Bondi’s policy changes.