US President Donald Trump fired US Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday after she expressed growing disappointment with her recent record, particularly in relation to the release of documents about the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
In her place, the US president appointed Deputy US Attorney General Todd Blanch.
Trump is also believed to have been unhappy with Bondi's failure to prosecute critics and rivals of the US president quickly enough when he wanted them indicted.
During her tenure, Bondi was a staunch supporter of Trump's policies and broke with the Justice Department's long-standing tradition of being a independent of the White House in conducting investigations.
But it was the criticism of the Epstein documents by Trump allies and some Republican lawmakers that managed to establish itself as a leading theme during her ministerial term. Bondi was accused of covering up or failing to release documents from the Justice Department's investigation into the affair with the scandalous financier Epstein, who had relationships with a number of wealthy and influential individuals.
These allegations have led to political problems for Trump and have put his friendship with Epstein, which the American president has said ended a decade ago, under scrutiny.
The removal of Bondi from office could lead to a complete change in the Justice Department's strategy and possibly to the use of the American justice system to apply pressure on individuals whom Trump considers inconvenient.
Bondi is the second senior government official recently dismissed by Trump.
On March 5, the American president removed Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noam after she voiced criticism of Trump's immigration policy.
Bondi, a former attorney general of Florida, said she worked to restore the Justice Department's focus on crime and regain the trust of Trump supporters after federal prosecutors twice indicted him before he was reelected.
Bondi has also come under fire for her decision to fire dozens of experienced prosecutors who were working on investigations that Trump disapproves of. Critics accuse her of abandoning the department's traditional priority of delivering fair justice.