LAWYERS FOR GOOD GOVERNMENT OPPOSES NOMINATION OF PAMELA JO BONDI TO LEAD DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG), a nationwide nonprofit organization supported by a network of more than 125,000 lawyers and advocates in all 50 states, strongly opposes the nomination of Pamela Jo Bondi to serve as Attorney General of the United States. Our opposition stems from three critical concerns: 1) her demonstrated pattern of subordinating constitutional duties to Donald Trump's personal interests; 2) her troubling record of undermining civil rights; and 3) her active participation in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. 

Subordination of Constitutional Duties to Trump's Interests

The Attorney General must serve as the people's lawyer, not the president's personal counsel. Ms. Bondi's demonstrated pattern of prioritizing Donald Trump's personal interests over constitutional principles and the rule of law renders her fundamentally unfit for this role. She served as Trump's defense lawyer during his first impeachment, received an illegal $25,000 donation from the Trump Foundation while serving as Florida Attorney General, and subsequently declined to investigate serious fraud allegations against Trump University. Most recently, she has publicly criticized legitimate prosecutions of Trump as "weaponizing the legal system." This pattern demonstrates she cannot maintain the independence required to lead the Department of Justice.

Record of Undermining Civil Rights and Environmental Protections

As the chief civil rights lawyer for our nation, Ms. Bondi would be responsible for enforcing federal civil rights law, including the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and many others.

However, as Florida Attorney General, Bondi consistently worked to erode fundamental civil rights and environmental protections:

• Defended Florida's unconstitutional ban on marriage equality and pledged to uphold a gay adoption ban, arguing that recognizing same-sex marriages and allowing same-sex couples to adopt would "impose significant harm" on Florida residents and comparing LGBTQIA+ identity to “bringing a heroin needle to school while praising the state’s illegal “Don’t Say Gay and Trans” law;  

• Voted to make it more difficult for formerly incarcerated individuals to restore their voting rights by imposing a minimum five-year waiting period and opposing automatic restoration; 

• Led unsuccessful efforts to overturn the Affordable Care Act, threatening healthcare access for millions; 

• Defended restrictive abortion laws that imposed undue burdens on pregnant people, including mandatory waiting periods and counseling requirements. When asked about this record in her recent senate confirmation hearing, she declined to rule out support for federal abortion restrictions; 

• Signed on to a multi-state lawsuit challenging the Affordable Care Act’s contraception coverage mandate, threatening to undermine access to contraception for countless Americans; 

• Advocated for adding a citizenship question to the census, which would have undermined accurate representation and federal funding allocation;

• Has repeatedly denied climate change is man-made and filed a lawsuit to kill the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan, which would have established the first-ever limits on U.S. power plant carbon emissions

Attacks on Election Integrity 

Most alarmingly, Ms. Bondi played a central role in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. As a chief lawyer for the Trump campaign, she promoted baseless claims of election fraud and falsely declared Trump the winner in Pennsylvania before vote counting was complete. She challenged valid absentee ballots and made unfounded allegations of "fake ballots" and deceased voters. These claims were rejected by both the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.

In her current role as chair of the America First Policy Institute's Center for Litigation, Bondi has continued to undermine voting rights through litigation aimed at:

• Granting local election officials unilateral authority to delay or deny election certification; and

• Blocking implementation of executive orders promoting voter registration

The Department of Justice requires leadership that will uphold the Constitution, defend civil rights, and maintain independence from political influence. Ms. Bondi's record demonstrates she would do none of these. Her history of partisan loyalty, attacks on fundamental rights, and participation in efforts to subvert democracy make her categorically unfit to serve as Attorney General.

L4GG calls on the Senate to reject this nomination and protect the integrity of the Department of Justice, which is essential to maintaining the rule of law and equal justice for all Americans.