A group of more than 120 law professors, former judges and attorneys has renewed pressure on the Florida Bar to investigate former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi over alleged professional misconduct during her time leading the U.S. Department of Justice.
The coalition, led by former Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Peggy Quince, filed a fresh 25-page complaint on Wednesday accusing Bondi of violating ethical rules while enforcing President Donald Trump’s policies, particularly on immigration and political prosecutions. They also allege she misled the public regarding the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and mishandled sensitive document releases.
“As the former chief justice of this state’s highest court, there are key principles that we must protect,” Quince said. “First, whatever legal position you have achieved, you are still bound to follow the Rules of Professional Conduct. All lawyers are alike in that regard, and no one lawyer is above the law.”
The group argued that since Bondi is no longer serving in government, the Florida Bar now has full jurisdiction to act. “Now that Ms. Bondi is no longer Attorney General, it is imperative that The Florida Bar open an investigation of her apparent misconduct in that office,” the complaint states.
The Florida Bar declined to comment on the filing, with spokesperson Jennifer Krell Davis saying, “The Florida Bar does not comment on complaints or discipline cases.”
However, the U.S. Justice Department dismissed the allegations, calling them politically motivated. “This complaint is nothing more than a baseless and pathetic media stunt conjured up by inept attorneys desperate for relevance,” a department statement said.
The complaint expands on earlier allegations that Bondi pressured Justice Department lawyers to follow directives without independent legal judgment, describing what it called a “ ‘fall-in-line-or-be-gone’ philosophy that undermined the professional responsibility of [Justice] Department lawyers.”
It also alleges that her leadership contributed to the departure of hundreds of federal prosecutors and the mishandling of immigration-related cases, including alleged violations of court orders.
Bondi had previously denied any intention to politicize the Justice Department during her Senate confirmation, but the coalition claims her actions contradicted that pledge, especially regarding politically sensitive prosecutions.
A major portion of the complaint focuses on the handling of the Epstein investigation and related documents, accusing the department of releasing sensitive material without proper safeguards and misrepresenting the existence of a so-called client list.
Congress had previously ordered the release of Epstein-related files, but the complaint alleges that some disclosures later included unredacted victim information and sensitive material, raising concerns over privacy violations.
Bondi, who has also faced health-related concerns after undergoing treatment for thyroid cancer, has not publicly responded to the latest complaint.
