Pam Bondi is reportedly seeking a presidential pardon from Donald Trump as scrutiny over her handling of Jeffrey Epstein-related matters and other probes intensifies, according to a report published Friday.
Journalist Rob Shuter’s Naughty But Nice Substack quoted an unnamed source saying Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, is hoping for “a full presidential pardon” after what the piece described as Trump’s decision to remove his support for her on April 2. “She’s scared,” the source told Shuter, adding that “there are multiple investigations, lawsuits, and real exposure closing in fast. And now she doesn’t have the same protection.”
The source told Shuter that subpoenas, lawsuits and ethics complaints are “escalating” and that Bondi — once shielded by Trump’s backing — now faces increased exposure. The report said a pardon is “absolutely being discussed” but stressed it is not an official development, characterizing Bondi’s overtures as an effort “to get ahead of what’s coming. Before it gets worse.”
Bondi was subpoenaed in March by the House Oversight Committee for a deposition on the Department of Justice’s handling of the Epstein investigation and compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the committee said in a press release. Her deposition is scheduled for April 14, though the Shuter piece said the status of that appearance remains unclear. Rep. Robert Garcia, the committee’s top Democrat, told Axios that Bondi “will not escape accountability and remains legally obligated to appear before our Committee under oath.”
Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, who pushed for the subpoena, told Axios the demand “still stands” and emphasized it was issued to Bondi personally, “not as the sitting Attorney General.” Mace also criticized Bondi on X, writing that she “has stonewalled every effort to hold the guilty accountable” and saying the American people deserve an attorney general who is transparent and committed to justice for Epstein’s victims.
The report arrives amid a wider tug-of-war over access to the Epstein files. Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche has said the Justice Department should be able to “turn the page” on the records controversy, prompting pushback from lawmakers who say significant material remains withheld. The interplay between congressional oversight, potential civil and ethics litigation, and any executive clemency discussions puts Bondi at the center of competing legal and political forces as pressure mounts ahead of the April deposition date.