Bondi Defends Comey Indictment Amidst DOJ Firings, Sparking Rule of Law Concerns
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey before a Senate panel today, facing scrutiny as concerns mount over recent firings of prosecutors involved in the case and broader questions about political interference within the Department of Justice.Bondi, who served as a special assistant to President Trump, oversaw the case leading to Comey’s indictment.
The hearing comes as at least 12 prosecutors who worked with special Counsel jack Smith – who previously investigated President Trump – have been dismissed from the DOJ. Prior to the Comey indictment, the top federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia, Erik Siebert, was removed from his position. Siebert’s office was investigating both New York Attorney General Letitia James and Comey, and he had reportedly expressed reservations about the strength of the evidence in both investigations.
Trump afterward appointed Lindsey Halligan, a former insurance attorney and White House aide with no prior prosecutorial experience, as U.S. attorney. Halligan then secured an indictment against Comey,despite objections from career prosecutors who questioned the case’s merits. Following the charges, Bondi posted on social media, stating, “No one is above the law. Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case.”
Several career prosecutors within the U.S. attorney’s office have since been terminated. A letter signed by nearly 300 former career DOJ employees, released by Justice Connection, alleges the department is failing to uphold the rule of law, protect national security, and safeguard civil rights.
“the administration is taking a sledgehammer to other longstanding work the Department has done to protect communities and the rule of law, too,” the letter states.”We call on these leaders to reverse course – to remember the oath we all took to uphold the Constitution – and adhere to the legal guardrails and institutional norms on which our justice system relies.”
The Department of Justice has not yet responded to NPR’s request for comment regarding the letter.
