The United States President Donald Trump has removed Attorney General Pam Bondi – a longtime ally and fierce defender of his administration – from her post as America’s top law enforcement officer.
Trump praised her in a post on Truth Social and said she would be “transitioning” to a role in the private sector.
Bondi’s time leading the justice department was often overshadowed by its handling of the release of files relating to Jeffrey Epstein and its investigation into the convicted sex offender.
She is the second Trump administration official in recent weeks to be cut from her post, after Kristi Noem was ousted as homeland security chief in March. Bondi will be replaced by her former deputy, Todd Blanche.
Bondi said she would be “working tirelessly” to transfer her work to Blanche, adding that the job had “been the honour” of a lifetime.
She added that in her new private sector position – which she did not identify – she would “continue fighting for President Trump and this administration”.
The announcement comes less than two months after a combative congressional hearing in which Bondi was peppered with questions from lawmakers – at times descending into shouting matches in which she called one Democrat a “washed-up loser”.
As recently as Thursday morning, Trump was defending Bondi, saying: “She is a wonderful person and she is doing a good job.”