Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren celebrated the firing of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday, issuing a statement that offered no sympathy for the ousted Cabinet official and described her tenure as deeply corrupt.
Warren said the Justice Department under Bondi’s leadership “became a cesspool of corruption.” She accused Bondi of “blocking the release of the Epstein files” and “weaponizing the DOJ to go after Trump’s political opponents.” Warren also charged that Bondi had been “handing out merger approvals as political favors.”
The Massachusetts senator concluded with two words: “Good riddance.”
Warren’s statement made no distinction between her opposition to Bondi and President Trump’s reasons for removing her. While Trump and his allies have expressed frustration that Bondi did not prosecute his political opponents aggressively enough, Warren and other Democrats have argued the opposite — that the Justice Department under Bondi pursued politically motivated investigations that had no legitimate legal basis.
The Epstein Controversy
Warren’s reference to the Epstein files points to a dispute that followed Bondi throughout her 14-month tenure. In February 2025, shortly after being confirmed, Bondi said in a Fox News interview that a client list related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was on her desk for review. The Justice Department later stated that no such list existed, and the FBI declared in July 2025 that the case was closed and no further disclosures were warranted.
The resulting backlash from both parties led Congress to pass a bipartisan transparency law in November 2025, requiring the release of nearly all Epstein-related files. The department eventually published roughly three million pages of records, but lawmakers from both sides continued to criticize the scope of redactions. The Republican-led House Oversight Committee had subpoenaed Bondi to testify under oath on April 14 — a hearing that will now not take place as originally planned.
Warren’s accusation that Bondi weaponized the Justice Department refers to a series of investigations and indictments that Democrats have characterized as politically driven. Under Bondi’s leadership, the department indicted former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Both cases were dismissed by a federal judge who found that the prosecutor who brought the charges had been unlawfully appointed, according to CBS News.
Investigations into Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell, and Federal Reserve officials did not produce charges. A grand jury unanimously rejected criminal charges against a group of Democratic lawmakers who had posted a video urging military members to refuse unlawful orders, CBS News reported.
Merger Approvals
Warren’s reference to merger approvals as political favors touches on a less widely covered aspect of Bondi’s tenure. The Justice Department’s antitrust division saw its own internal turbulence during Bondi’s time in office. Variety reported that the department’s former acting head of the antitrust division, Gail Slater, was ousted after reportedly clashing with Bondi. The department is currently reviewing the proposed $111 billion Paramount Skydance takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal that has drawn scrutiny because of the Ellison family’s ties to President Trump.
Bondi’s removal is the second firing of a Trump Cabinet member in recent weeks. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was ousted in early March. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who previously served as one of Trump’s personal defense attorneys, has been named acting attorney general. Multiple news outlets have reported that Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin is the leading candidate to replace Bondi permanently.
Warren, who serves on the Senate Banking and Finance Committees, has been among the most vocal critics of the Trump administration’s use of federal agencies for political purposes. Her statement on Bondi’s firing suggests that Democrats intend to continue pressing for accountability over the Justice Department’s actions during Bondi’s tenure, regardless of who succeeds her.
