Dear John,
Lawyers Defending American Democracy and a broad coalition including Democracy Defenders Fund, Lawyers for the Rule of Law, distinguished former judges, and prominent ethics professors and lawyers have filed a detailed Ethics Complaint against Attorney General Pamela Bondi in Florida, where she is admitted to practice.
You are invited to sign in support of this action.
The 23-page complaint seeks an investigation by The Florida Bar and sanctions for unethical conduct. As the complaint alleges, on Ms. Bondi’s first day in office, she sent a memorandum to all Department of Justice employees that placed lawyers who work for the DOJ in an untenable position – possibly violate their own ethical obligations or comply with her directive.
In her memo, the Attorney General detailed specific expectations that, in effect, threatened DOJ lawyers with discipline and possible termination if they failed to satisfy her test of “zealous advocacy.” This is, however, contrary to the rules of professional conduct that limit the “zealous” advocacy obligations of attorneys to “lawful and ethical measures.”
The complaint focuses on three recent cases in which DOJ lawyers were terminated or forced to resign as a result of demands - made either by Ms. Bondi or a member of her senior management team - to take actions that would be in violation of ethical obligations to which the DOJ lawyers must adhere. The complaint identifies and explains in detail the ethical rules that were violated in each instance.
The creation of an environment that forces lawyers to resign or be fired for following ethical standards is the antithesis of the behavior expected from the Attorney General of the United States.
Read the Complaint against Attorney General Bondi here.
We invite you to sign in support of this complaint and show your support for the fundamental principle that the Attorney General of the United States cannot demand that government lawyers abandon their ethical obligations to advance the agenda of the administration.
Lawyers Defending American Democracy
