Dear John,
Every day, LDAD is asked by lawyers across the country what they can do in this moment to respond to a government they do not recognize as their own. They refuse to be a spectator as the administration demonstrates disdain for the work of governance and carries out a retribution agenda for no other purpose than to harm those they do not like.
The heart of this retribution agenda lies in the United States Department of Justice. Once the gold standard for a place where lawyers felt honored to serve their country and enforce the nation’s laws in a fair and impartial manner, free from the involvement of the President’s agenda, today the DOJ has become unrecognizable. On her first day in office, Attorney General Pamela Bondi issued a memorandum that made clear that the DOJ agenda and the President’s were fully aligned, and it was expected that DOJ lawyers would advocate zealously on behalf of the President, regardless of any ethical constraints they might feel to do otherwise.
As we previously reported, LDAD, in collaboration with Democracy Defenders Fund, Lawyers for the Rule of Law, and approximately 70 prominent attorneys, law professors and former judges, filed an ethics complaint against Attorney General Bondi, detailing allegations of professional misconduct that threatened the rule of law and the justice system. The Florida Bar immediately rejected the complaint and refused to undertake an investigation.
This week, our coalition filed a petition for a writ of mandamus before the Florida Supreme Court, requesting that the Court order The Florida Bar to conduct an investigation. Our coalition’s position is basic to the core values of the justice system: no one is above the law. The same rules of professional ethics that apply to all other Florida lawyers must also apply to the Florida-licensed Attorney General.
In other news, we are grateful to attorney Melba Pearson for her thoughtful interview of LDAD’s executive director on the MeidasTouch Legal AF podcast. The interview featured a wide-ranging conversation about LDAD’s work to protect democracy and the rule of law. The interview can be seen here.
We are inspired by those who are also fighting tirelessly every day to restore freedoms that are under attack. And we hope our work inspires others to join us in the fight to protect the norms and values of our democratic institutions. We invite you to review our website, join our Meeting the Moment initiative, and donate to our work. Together, we can make a difference.
Thank you, Lawyers Defending American Democracy
