Former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has been the subject of an ethics complaint filed with the Florida Bar by Peggy Quince, a retired chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court, on May 27, 2026. The complaint is supported by over 120 judges, law professors, and attorneys and calls for an investigation that could lead to Bondi's disbarment.
This complaint follows a previous attempt that was rejected by the Florida Bar in June 2025, while Bondi was still in office, due to the Bar's policy against investigating sitting federal appointees. Following her dismissal by President Donald Trump in April 2026, the new complaint was filed.
The coalition supporting the complaint, which includes organizations like Lawyers Defending American Democracy, accuses Bondi of pressuring Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyers to compromise their ethics. The complaint highlights Bondi's management of the Jeffrey Epstein files, alleging that she misled the public regarding a supposed client list and mishandled the release of documents, resulting in the exposure of sensitive information about Epstein's victims.
Additionally, the complaint alleges that Bondi approved prosecutions without probable cause against individuals such as former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. It claims that under her leadership, DOJ lawyers disregarded court orders in numerous cases, creating an environment where they felt compelled to act unethically.
In response to the complaint, the Justice Department labeled it as unfounded and described it as a media stunt. Bondi is scheduled to appear before the House Oversight Committee regarding the Epstein investigation, although the session will be closed to the public. Since her termination, Bondi has been recovering from thyroid cancer surgery and has been appointed to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
