Trump sacks 'loyal friend' Attorney General Pam Bondi amid Epstein investigation
Reports claim Trump had grown discontented with Bondi as she wasn't moving forward fast enough in prosecuting his adversaries
Donald Trump has fired Attorney General Pam Bondi, White House officials have confirmed.
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The US President's decision to remove Bondi is believed to be linked to her handling of the Epstein files and their release earlier this year by the Department of Justice.
The files were published after the Department was ordered to do so under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which Trump signed into law late last year following pressure from Republicans in Congress. No-one in the US is currently under investigation in connection with the Epstein files.
The President released a statement saying Bondi is a "loyal friend" who "we love" but, but said she will be moving to a different role in the private sector.
However, it has been alleged Trump had grown discontented with Bondi as she wasn't moving forward fast enough in prosecuting his adversaries.
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According to NBC, a source familiar with White House discussions said Trump felt Bondi had not "executed on his vision" in the way he wanted.
A replacement has not yet been confirmed, although there has been widespread speculation that Lee Zeldin, the head of the US Environmental Protection Agency, could take over.
Some US outlets, however, have reported that deputy attorney general Todd Blanche may step in on a temporary basis.
Bondi and the Trump administration came under scrutiny over their handling of the release of the Epstein files, after failing to black out the names of Epstein's victims while redacting other information.
A congressional committee voted to subpoena Bondi as the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell unfolds.
Five Republicans on the House Oversight Committee joined with Democrats in a 24-19 vote, forcing the member of Donald Trump's. Cabinet to face questioning amid the ongoing probe.
The motion was brought forward by Republican representative Nancy Mace, who has accused the Department of Justice of a "cover-up".
It was backed by Republican representatives Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Michael Cloud of Texas, and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania.
In February, Bondi defended the justice department’s handling of the release of the Epstein files and hit out at critics amid the backlash.
Congress passed legislation mandated the release of millions of documents related to the Epstein probe, but the justice department came under fire for reportedly missing the deadline.
Bondi told the House Judiciary Committee her officials did their "very best in the time allotted".
“You’re a washed-up loser lawyer. You’re not even a lawyer,” Ms Bondi told Representative Jamie Raskin at one point during the fiery hearing.
Politicians are trying to meet demands for a reckoning over Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 in New York while facing charges for sex trafficking and abusing underage girls.