Pam Bondi, former Attorney General of Florida, could theoretically have prosecuted Jeffrey Epstein during her tenure between 2011 and 2019, according to a leading law professor. The claim comes amid ongoing controversy surrounding the release of documents related to Epstein, which Bondi previously stated were in her possession earlier this year. On 6 July, the US Department of Justice confirmed that no further evidence would be released in the case and dismissed speculation over the existence of a so-called “client list”.
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Following public pressure, particularly from Trump-aligned supporters, former President Donald Trump instructed Bondi to release selected Epstein documents and grand jury materials, pending court approval. Before joining the Trump administration—where she notably defended the former president during his first impeachment proceedings—Bondi served as Florida’s first female attorney general.
Professor Robert Jarvis of Nova Southeastern University explained that, as federal and state governments operate under separate legal systems, Bondi had the legal authority to initiate a state-level prosecution against Epstein. “Both have the power to try the same person for the same crime under their own laws,” he told The Post. However, he added that Bondi would not necessarily have had grounds to act without a formal complaint or compelling reason to revisit an adjudicated case.
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Epstein’s crimes first came under investigation in Florida in 2005, with a grand jury charging him the following year with a single count of soliciting prostitution. Despite extensive evidence of abuse, he struck a controversial plea deal in 2008, serving just 13 months in jail. Federal prosecutors later charged him with sex trafficking in New York in 2019. Bondi has since stated that a motion to release relevant grand jury testimony was filed last week. The Independent has contacted her office for comment.
