Attorney General Pam Bondi orders review of Trump prosecutions, focuses on
CBSFeb 09
Bondi Takes Helm at DOJ with Sweeping Day-One Directives
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Above: Pam Bondi after being sworn in as US Attorney General on Feb. 5, 2025. Image copyright: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
One day after being sworn in, US Attorney General Pam Bondi had the Justice Department (DOJ) file a lawsuit against Illinois and the city of Chicago on Thursday, challenging their sanctuary city policies as interfering with federal immigration enforcement.
This follows her first day of work, which saw Bondi issue 14 directives. The directives included creating a "Weaponization Working Group" to review past investigations of Trump, lifting a moratorium on federal executions, and establishing an Oct. 7 task force focused on Hamas.
Bondi also ordered the DOJ to pause all federal funding for sanctuary cities and directed the evaluation of funding agreements with organizations that provide support to undocumented immigrants.
The Spin
Republican narrative
Under Bondi, the DOJ will make sure the Trump administration's goals of curbing violent crime and illegal immigration are met. There will no longer be politically motivated prosecutions — rather entities that don't obey federal law or individuals who aren't on board with DOJ policies will be held accountable.
Democratic narrative
Despite what the administration says, setting out to investigate previous prosecutors and target sanctuary cities is a concerning politicization of the DOJ. Bondi seems ready to transform it into a tool for presidential grievances rather than as an independent law enforcement agency, as has been US tradition.
