Pam Bondi was sworn in as the U.S. Attorney General on February 5, 2025, in a ceremony held in the Oval Office, marking a significant shift in the leadership of the Justice Department. President Donald Trump, who has been a long-time ally of Bondi, attended the ceremony, highlighting his personal interest in the department's operations.
Bondi, the former Florida attorney general and a key defender of Trump during his first impeachment trial, has promised to restore "fair, equal and impartial justice" to the department. Her confirmation by the Senate was largely along party lines, with a 54-46 vote, and only one Democrat, Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, joining the Republicans in supporting her nomination.
Upon taking office, Bondi issued a series of directives aimed at overhauling the Justice Department. One of her first actions was to create a "weaponization working group" tasked with scrutinizing the work of special counsel Jack Smith, who had charged Trump in two criminal cases. This group will also review what Bondi and Trump's allies describe as "unethical prosecutions" related to the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
These directives are part of a broader effort to roll back policies implemented during the Biden administration and align the Justice Department with the priorities of the current White House. Other significant changes include lifting the moratorium on the federal death penalty and ending federal grants to jurisdictions that "unlawfully interfere with federal law enforcement."
Bondi's directives also include measures that could impact the careers of department lawyers. She has stated that prosecutors who refuse to sign onto briefs or appear in court to argue on behalf of the administration could face firings, emphasizing that it is their job to "vigorously defend presidential policies and actions against legal challenges."
The new attorney general's actions have raised concerns among Democrats about her ability to lead the Justice Department independently, given her close relationship with President Trump. During her confirmation hearing, Bondi refused to rule out potential investigations into Trump's adversaries and echoed Trump's claims that the Justice Department had been "weaponized" against conservatives.
The changes under Bondi's leadership signal a dramatic reshaping of the Justice Department, with the department set to provide quarterly reports to the White House on the progress of the working group’s review. This review will focus on identifying instances where agency actions appear to have been driven by political objectives rather than the pursuit of justice.
As Bondi takes the helm, she has vowed to "make America safe again" and restore integrity to the Justice Department, while also promising to fight violent crime both domestically and internationally. Her tenure is expected to be marked by significant upheaval within the department, particularly given Trump's intense interest in its operations and the ongoing scrutiny of agents involved in Trump-related investigations.
