1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to take immediate action to remove Attorney General Pam Bondi from office. The Department of Justice has deteriorated dramatically under her leadership, and recent developments demonstrate that she is unfit to serve in this critical role. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge David Novak, a Trump appointee, ruled that Lindsey Halligan's claimed appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia is a "charade" that "must come to an end." Despite a Fourth Circuit finding that her appointment violated the Appointments Clause, Halligan continued signing DOJ filings as U.S. Attorney. Judge Novak found that her continued representation "can only be described as a false statement made in direct defiance of valid court orders." When DOJ defended this conduct, Novak stated the filing fell "far beneath the level of advocacy expected from litigants in this Court, particularly the Department of Justice." Both Bondi and the Deputy Attorney General signed that filing. This situation arose after Halligan indicted former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James without lawful authority. Judge Novak warned he will initiate disciplinary proceedings if Halligan persists in defying court orders. Bondi eliminated DOJ independence from day one, declaring in a memo that department lawyers who refuse to sign briefs advancing presidential policies "deprives the President of the benefit of his lawyers." The consequences have been catastrophic. The New York Times reported in November that Trump's second term has brought "a period of turmoil and controversy unlike any in the history of the Justice Department." DOJ has lost thousands of experienced attorneys and backfilled only a fraction of open jobs, with the ABA Journal noting the department struggles to attract qualified candidates from top law schools and firms. Most recently, DOJ served subpoenas on Minnesota state officials including Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Attorney General Keith Ellison, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, signaling an escalating attack on state sovereignty and the rule of law. I urge you to support Bondi's removal and work to restore the Department of Justice's integrity and independence.