WASHINGTON, D.C. — Advocates for the rule of law are urging the Florida Supreme Court to order the Florida Bar to follow its own rules and fully investigate claims that Pam Bondi, who is a member of the Florida Bar and serves as the Attorney General of the United States, has acted unethically.

Refuting the Florida Bar’s claims, the filing argues that petitioners have a legal right to request an investigation, and that the Bar has a legal obligation to conduct one. The filing also responds to amicus briefs filed in the case by the Department of Justice and the State of Florida – illustrating the importance of this case.

The Florida Bar previously rejected a complaint submitted by Florida lawyer Jon May, Democracy Defenders Fund (DDF), Lawyers Defending American Democracy (LDAD), Lawyers for the Rule of Law, and a group of 70 prominent attorneys, law professors, and former judges.

"Despite their best arguments, it is clearer than ever that the Florida Bar has a legal duty to investigate Pam Bondi’s behavior as Attorney General,” said Amb. Norm Eisen (ret.), executive chair of DDF. “They must uphold their obligation to defend the rule of law and the administration of justice.”

The complaint urged an investigation and appropriate sanctions against Bondi for engaging in professional misconduct that threatens the rule of law and the administration of justice. In a dismissal unsupported by its own rules, the Florida Bar rejected the complaint the day after it was filed, claiming that it does not investigate ethics complaints against federal constitutional officeholders.

An LDAD volunteer and a principal author of the brief, James W. Conrad Jr., stated, “The positions of the Bar, the State and the United States, if upheld, would be a statement to the legal profession that the Attorney General of the United States is above the law and need not comply with the same code of ethics that all other lawyers must follow. That would be a shocking message to send.”

The new filing is available HERE

A copy of the original complaint can be found HERE

A copy of the petition for writ of mandamus can be found HERE

# # #

Democracy Defenders Fund brings together a nonpartisan team to work with national, state, and local allies across the country to defend in real-time the foundations of our democracy.

Lawyers Defending American Democracy is a coalition of lawyers united in the defense of our democracy and committed to galvanizing the legal profession – and the public – to protect the rule of law.