There are lots of concerning things going on in the country. One of them is the continuing problem presented by the Attorney General of the United States viewing her role as being President Trump’s lawyer and a partisan willing to do his bidding at all times. I have written a few times about what I consider to be unethical conduct on her part during the short time she has been in office.
Others have filed bar complaints against her in Florida over certain issues, but the Florida Bar, to date, refuses to take any action other than summarily dismissing complaints without investigation solely because of the position she holds. You may have seen media reports in the last week about a thorough complaint filed against her by Lawyers Defending American Democracy along with something around 70 others. I am reliably told that the Florida Bar dismissed that complaint the day after it was received.
Last Friday, Attorney General Bondi held a press conference and made statements about a criminal defendant that were not a part of the allegations that were in the indictment she was discussing. Doing so is something that is contrary to the Department of Justice’s own guidelines and, I believe, clearly a violation of the ethics rules that govern attorneys and prosecutors regarding extrajudicial statements. Those public remarks including allegations of being involved in murder and an interest in child pornography have a substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing that criminal case.
That criminal case was brought in federal court in Tennessee.
Today, with hope that not all bar regulators will follow Florida down the path of providing Ms. Bondi with a license to do whatever she pleases despite the attorney ethics rules that govern her as Attorney General, I have filed a disciplinary complaint here in Tennessee against her, and against the acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
A copy of that complaint is below: