Pam Bondi Tried to Control All 50 State Bars. It Failed Spectacularly.

TL;DR

Bondi's memo claiming AG authority over DOJ lawyer bar complaints is toothless because she has no real power to stop state bar investigations.

Key Points

• 1.Bondi issued a directive claiming first-review rights over bar complaints against DOJ lawyers. Her March 5th memo states that whenever a third party files a bar complaint against a current or former DOJ lawyer, the Attorney General gets to investigate the allegation first before state bars can act.
• 2.The threat to block state bars is an empty bluff. The memo warns the DOJ will take 'appropriate action' to prevent bar authorities from interfering, but Bondi never specifies what those actions are — because, the commentator argues, she has no actual legal mechanism to stop state bar investigations.
• 3.The real motive is protecting lawyers asked to do unethical work. The commentator argues Bondi could end the problem immediately by stopping requests for unethical conduct; instead, the memo is theater designed to intimidate already risk-averse bar associations, and line attorneys are unlikely to be fooled.