US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi in recent weeks, calling her “weak and ineffective“, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing US administration officials.
According to the sources, the Republican is increasing pressure on the Justice Department to “move forward more vigorously with its priorities“. He has discussed with his allies the possibility of appointing a special prosecutor to the department due to the “slow progress“ in the work of the department.
The main reason for the criticism of Bondi, according to sources of the publication, is the lack of quick results in the cases against long-time opponents of Trump, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat. Comey, who led the investigation into possible Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, was charged with lying to Congress and obstruction of justice, while James was charged with fraud. Both criminal cases were dismissed in November, despite Trump's push for an expedited trial.
Trump has also complained about Bondi's handling of the case against convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, saying the attorney general's actions have created political and personal problems for the Republican, sources said. When White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles told Vanity Fair that Bondi had "failed" in her job, Trump agreed with that assessment, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The U.S. president himself has called Bondi a "longtime friend" and said she "did an excellent job," and the White House sent statements of support for the attorney general from Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior officials, the newspaper reported.
At the same time, an administration official told the newspaper that Bondi has been making fewer appearances at the White House in recent months. She was not present when Trump announced the detention of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, although her department justified the arrest of the Venezuelan leader, who was charged with conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism and other charges. A Justice Department spokesman told the department that Bondi was monitoring Maduro's detention in real time and was not present at the White House due to logistical issues and the "sensitive nature of the operation."