The Epstein files didn’t just rattle the skeletons buried in Palm Beach mansions — they also blew the lid off some long-buried baggage belonging to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. In February, Bondi said she had the Epstein documents “on her desk for review,” a statement that put her squarely in the spotlight. And now that the fallout is snowballing, her past is coming back with a vengeance.
Before Bondi landed the top legal job in the country, the position was briefly offered to then-Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) — a pick so controversial that Donald Trump caught heat for it almost immediately. Before any confirmation hearing could even take place, the House Ethics Committee dropped a report accusing the Florida lawmaker of having “s-xual activity with a minor” and “regularly paying women for s-x.” After that political grenade, Trump needed a safer face. Enter Pam Bondi.
But “safer” is a relative term.
Pamela Jo Bondi spent two decades working her way up — from a Hillsborough County prosecutor to Florida Attorney General, and finally into Trump’s orbit as the 2024 nominee for U.S. Attorney General. On paper, she looked clean. In reality, her past is packed with questionable decisions, shady associations, and conflicts that most politicians would rather forget — but the Epstein drama is dragging it all back out.
Bondi was one of the main voices promising transparency around the Epstein documents. That promise? Now more like a punchline. The administration has since gone radio silent, and Bondi’s name is at the center of the mess. Still, Trump jumped to her defense with his usual bombast.
“They’re all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We’re on one Team, MAGA, and I don’t like what’s happening. LET PAM BONDI DO HER JOB — SHE’S GREAT!” he posted on Truth Social.
But the problems go way beyond Epstein.
Let’s rewind to 2013. The Tampa Bay Times revealed that the Trump Foundation donated $25,000 to a group supporting Bondi’s reelection as Florida AG. At that exact time, Trump University was under investigation for fraud. Conveniently, Bondi decided not to join the lawsuit filed by New York. It looked bad. Really bad. An ethics investigation cleared her, but the Trump Foundation — a supposed charity — got slapped for making the illegal political contribution.
And that’s just one stain.
There’s also the bizarre interruption of an execution. In 2013, convicted murderer Marshall Lee Gore was scheduled to be executed. But the date clashed with Bondi’s campaign fundraiser. The execution was delayed — not for legal reasons, but so Bondi could raise cash. She later apologized, but the damage was done.
Then there’s the Scientology connection. Bondi’s relationship with the Church of Scientology has long raised eyebrows in Florida political circles. While no formal charges or violations came of it, the quiet ties between her office and Scientology’s PR machine have been the subject of local suspicion for years.
But perhaps the biggest red flag? Bondi literally registered as a foreign agent.
In July 2019, watchdog group Public Citizen revealed that Bondi had registered as a foreign agent under FARA (the Foreign Agents Registration Act). She was listed as “key personnel” in a contract between the Embassy of Qatar and lobbying firm Ballard Partners LLC.
According to the registration documents, her duties included “advising, counseling, and assisting the foreign principal in communication with U.S. government officials, U.S. business entities, and non-governmental audiences.” She was also hired to “provide Government relations strategic advice and advocacy with respect to enhancing US-Qatar bilateral relations, and further developing trade, investment and business opportunities.”
That’s a pretty big deal for someone now serving as the top legal officer in the United States. And yet — during her confirmation hearing as Attorney General — this never came up publicly. No mention. No transparency. Just one more piece of dirty laundry stuffed in the back of the closet.
Now, with the Epstein files back in the headlines, the cracks in Bondi’s image are turning into gaping holes. She was supposed to be the administration’s cleanup crew — the one who could finally bring order to the chaos. But her own mess might be too big to ignore.
Pam Bondi’s dirty laundry isn’t just coming out — it’s piling up in public. And as the Epstein scandal continues to cast its shadow over Washington, it’s becoming harder and harder to separate her from the corruption she once promised to fight.
