House conservatives are urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to be more aggressive against President Donald Trump’s political enemies.
These Republicans want Dr. Anthony Fauci and New York Attorney General Letitia James arrested for what they view as politically targeted efforts to go after Trump.
They also want federal criminal charges filed against Democratic mayors who offered sanctuary to undocumented immigrants.
Another target — Biden administration bureaucrats that Republicans argue wasted federal taxpayer money by pushing DEI, climate change and other progressive goals. It’s unclear what laws were allegedly broken here, or if any were.
Several Republicans also expressed frustrations over what they say is Bondi’s slow walking of fully releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files.
House Judiciary Committee Republicans privately huddled with Bondi on April 28 during a dinner at the Justice Department. These issues and more were raised during that session, several lawmakers said.
“I would like to see things continue to move as quickly as possible,” Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas) told us. “Even some of the stuff DOGE has uncovered, it’s massive corruption that’s been going on and that should turn into criminal referrals.”
Bondi’s stances: During her confirmation hearing, Bondi – who served on Trump’s defense team during his first impeachment case – pledged independence from her personal viewpoints while overseeing the Justice Department. The former Florida Attorney General also told senators that “no one should be prosecuted for political purposes.”
But with Trump’s mission to go after his foes, Bondi is making some noticeably political moves.
The Justice Department opened a criminal probe into James last week over mortgage fraud allegations. James won a $450 million civil case against Trump in 2023 in which she accused him of exaggerating the value of his business assets.
Several House Republicans have accused Fauci of lying to Congress and leading a government cover-up of the origins of Covid-19.
Bondi has also started taking action against states and cities that have gone around federal law when it comes to immigration laws. Most recently, she sued Colorado and Denver for offering sanctuary status to undocumented immigrants.
Justice Department officials didn’t get into the specifics about requests for DOJ action from House GOP lawmakers.
“This Department of Justice will continue to work closely with members of the House Judiciary Committee as we end the weaponization of government and make America safe again,” said a DOJ spokesperson.
Congressional interest: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), along with Reps. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) and Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), sent a letter to Bondi last week, giving her a May 16 deadline to release all the Epstein files.
Luna also said she’s contacted the DOJ to urge officials to start filing criminal charges against sanctuary city mayors but hasn’t heard back from the agency.
“A non-response is not adequate,” Luna told us. “The base just wants legal charges brought against people who broke the law.”
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) said on Fox News this week that he wants Bondi to bring criminal charges against Fauci. Comer, though, hasn’t met directly with Bondi.
Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) said he’s giving Bondi a grace period because she’s only been in the role for a short time.
“It’s only been four months, so I cut her some slack,” Tiffany said. “If it ends up being two years and there’s stuff not getting done, I’ll reconsider.”
Other Republicans say time is of the essence, noting that Trump and the GOP have the most momentum now.
“I’m as frustrated as anybody,” Burlison said. “I particularly want the Epstein list released as soon as possible and I think a lot of people are blackpilled about this thinking it’ll never happen, but I’m going to keep fighting to get it released.”
