Critics want U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi investigated, but at what cost? | Opinion

The Florida Bar on Friday dismissed a complaint brought by a coalition of about 70 liberal-leaning and moderate law professors, attorneys and former Florida Supreme Court justices against U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The complaint accuses Bondi, Florida’s former attorney general, of violating her ethical duties in her current job. As the Miami Herald reported, the complaint claims Bondi “has sought to compel Department of Justice lawyers to violate their ethical obligations under the guise of ‘zealous advocacy.’”

While Bondi may have violated ethical rules — that’s unclear — seeking a Bar investigation of a U.S. attorney general could be a slippery slope. The move would no doubt be seen, perhaps rightfully so, as political retribution, and that would only add more fuel to the raging dumpster fire of our partisan politics these days.

The complaint outlined three instances in which the coalition said Bondi’s conduct violated Florida Bar rules and longstanding norms of the Justice Department. In one instance, they said, she fired a seasoned immigration lawyer who the Trump administration said sabotaged the case in the mistaken deportation of a Maryland man to El Salvador.

Another instance cited: A longtime federal prosecutor in the District of Columbia resigned rather than carry out enforcement orders that she said were unsupported by evidence. A third example: Several senior federal prosecutors in New York and Washington resigned after they refused to follow a Justice Department order to drop corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams.

The Bar rejected the complaint Friday, as it had done with two previous complaints about Bondi by the same group, and cited a jurisdictional issue. The Bar said it “does not investigate or prosecute sitting officers appointed under the U.S. Constitution while they are in office.”

The group includes two retired Florida Supreme Court justices, Barbara J. Pariente and Peggy A. Quince.

Make no mistake: Bondi is deeply political. And she has shown her commitment to carry out President Donald Trump’s agenda at all costs. Bondi has made it clear that the president’s priorities and the DOJ’s mission are, in her view, one and the same. This is a break in the fire wall that has long existed between the presidency and the Justice Department.

But politicizing the law — or the Bar — isn’t the answer, no matter which side is doing it.

Ethical standards must be enforced. That’s a cornerstone of the legal profession. But it’s hypocritical to condemn Bondi’s politicization of the DOJ while attempting a similar act via the Bar.

We recognize that Trump’s Justice Department is by design, political. And Bondi’s actions have been extremely partisan — including when she placed the DOJ attorney on leave in the case of the Maryland man who had been wrongly deported a man to El Salvador.

“At my direction, every Department of Justice attorney is required to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States,” Bondi said in a statement. “Any attorney who fails to abide by this direction will face consequences.”

The Florida Bar exists to ensure the integrity of the legal system is protected — not act as a political referee.

It’s understandable that some feel justified challenging Bondi’s ethics as a lawyer. Bondi’s conduct does warrant scrutiny, and she holds an enormous amount of power as the U.S. attorney general. But the uncertainty of the times shouldn’t be a reason to use the law to punish ideological opponents, even if we think the other side does it, too.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this editorial incorrectly characterized a Florida Bar complaint against U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. The complaint, which accused Bondi of professional misconduct, sought an investigation and appropriate sanctions.

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This story was originally published June 6, 2025 at 5:54 PM.