Trump fires Pam Bondi as US attorney general – The Times of India
US attorney general Pam Bondi has been ousted as attorney journal by president Donald Trump. Trump told Fox news that “Pam Bondi is out as US Attorney general. The US president confirmed the development on Truth Social. “Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year. Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country, with Murders plummeting to their lowest level since 1900,” he said.Confirming Todd Blanche, will step in to serve as Acting Attorney General, Trump said Bondi will moving to the private sector. “We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future, and our Deputy Attorney General, and a very talented and respected Legal Mind, Todd Blanche, will step in to serve as Acting Attorney General. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he added to his statement.
According to a White House official, quoted by Reuters, the move followed mounting frustration over her performance, including her handling of investigative files related to the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Trump had also reportedly grown frustrated that Bondi was not moving quickly enough to pursue prosecutions against critics and adversaries he wanted to face criminal charges.Bondi, a former Florida attorney general, had been a staunch and combative advocate of Trump’s agenda during her tenure, pushing policies that critics said eroded the Justice Department’s longstanding tradition of independence from the White House. She also oversaw the removal of dozens of career prosecutors linked to investigations disfavoured by Trump, drawing accusations of undermining the department’s commitment to impartial justice.However, it was the controversy surrounding the handling of files related to financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that came to dominate her time in office. Bondi faced sustained criticism, from both Trump allies and Republican lawmakers, over allegations that the release of records tied to the DOJ’s sex trafficking investigation into Epstein was mishandled or insufficiently transparent. Epstein, who maintained ties with influential figures, has remained a politically sensitive subject, also reviving scrutiny of Trump’s past association with him, which the president has said ended decades ago.The issue escalated after Bondi initially suggested that a client list linked to Epstein was under review. When early disclosures largely contained already public material, the Justice Department and FBI later declared the case closed, stating no further releases were warranted. The move triggered bipartisan backlash, eventually leading to legislation mandating the release of most remaining files.Despite the subsequent release of roughly 3 million pages of documents, controversy persisted. Lawmakers criticised extensive redactions and raised concerns over the exposure of some victims’ identities. The Republican-led House Oversight Committee moved to subpoena Bondi, with her testimony scheduled for April 14.Bondi defended her handling of the files, arguing that the Trump administration had been more transparent than its predecessors and that officials worked under tight timelines to review extensive records. During a contentious House hearing in January, she pushed back against criticism with political attacks on lawmakers and declined to apologise to victims and their families present at the proceedings.Beyond the Epstein issue, Bondi also faced internal criticism over the pace of legal action against Trump’s critics, with the president reportedly frustrated that prosecutions were not moving quickly enough.Her removal could signal a shift in Justice Department strategy, potentially including a more aggressive use of the legal system against Trump’s political adversaries.Bondi is the second senior official to be dismissed in recent weeks, following the removal of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on March 5 amid criticism of her handling of the agency and immigration policy.