'Completely lawless': Why this congresswoman wants Pam Bondi impeached

Democratic Congresswoman Summer Lee announced articles of impeachment against Attorney General Pam Bondi, arguing the Justice Department is out of control and completely lawless as it fires a top ethics official, ousts investigators of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack, and opens probes into the president's political opponents.

“'Completely lawless': Why this congresswoman wants Pam Bondi impeached From the Epstein files to the integrity of prosecutions, Democratic Congresswoman Summer Lee says Attorney General Pam Bondi is damaging the Justice Department”

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The measure, drafted with anti-corruption nonprofit Free Speech for People and co-sponsored by Rashida Tlaib, accuses Bondi of politicizing the DOJ and serving as a personal tool for President Donald Trump.

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It points to prosecutions pursued at Trump's urging against longtime critics, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, charges a judge dismissed in November.

Lee says the effort is about accountability and warns that the DOJ could set a dangerous precedent if it is allowed to run as a political arm of the administration.

Despite Lee's framing of DOJ actions as red flags, impeachment faces a steep path in a House still controlled by Republicans, with passage requiring a majority there and a two-thirds Senate conviction.

The articles accuse Bondi of turning the DOJ into a personal tool for President Trump by pursuing cases against critics such as James Comey and Letitia James, prosecutions that a judge dismissed in November.

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They also point to Bondi's role in appointing Lindsey Halligan to a top Virginia prosecutorial post, after which Halligan sought charges against Comey and James at Trump's urging.

Lee says there is growing appetite for accountability, and she notes support from other Democrats including Rep. Shri Thanedar, while Trump publicly praises Bondi as terrific and the White House defends her work.

These impeachment articles also target Bondi's handling of the Epstein files, arguing the DOJ has withheld information in ways that protect elites and shield potential wrongdoing.

“'Completely lawless': Why this congresswoman wants Pam Bondi impeached From the Epstein files to the integrity of prosecutions, Democratic Congresswoman Summer Lee says Attorney General Pam Bondi is damaging the Justice Department”

USA TODAY

They cite Bondi's March 2025 promise of releasing incriminating Epstein-related information, followed by a four-month-later memo stating the internal review found no further disclosure warranted.

Bondi's deputy, Todd Blanche, says many documents were withheld to protect victim privacy, but some were withheld for reasons not permitted by the transparency law, such as shielding internal DOJ deliberations.

The articles argue that the Epstein issue illustrates broader concerns about political shielding and selective disclosure as Congress steps up scrutiny of the DOJ.

Bondi isn't the only Trump official accused of defying the law and weakening ethical norms within government.

Democrats in Congress have also sought to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, accusing her of directing Immigration and Customs Enforcement to violate the public's constitutional rights in its enforcement actions.

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Judges have sometimes backed claims that administration officials are defying the law, with a Minnesota federal court noting ICE violated 210 orders in 143 cases and describing the violations as beyond the pale.

Lee says the administration is showing a pattern of dismissing checks and balances and warns that attacks are coming from every angle, threatening democracy and democratic institutions.