Washington, April 2 US President Donald Trump has removed Attorney General Pam Bondi from office after a year-long tenure marked by controversy and internal friction, naming Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as Acting Chief of the Justice Department.
Announcing the move on social media, Trump praised Bondi but confirmed her exit.
"Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year," he said.
He added that she would be "transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector".
Trump also credited Bondi with overseeing a major drop in crime.
"Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country, with Murders plummeting to their lowest level since 1900," the US President said.
The US President said Blanche, whom he described as "a very talented and respected Legal Mind", would step in as Acting Attorney General.
The move drew sharp criticism from Democrats, who linked Bondi's removal to broader concerns about the independence of the Justice Department.
US Senator Mark R. Warner said the decision followed what he called a "botched handling of the Epstein files".
"Attorney General Bondi's firing follows her botched handling of the Epstein files -- a failure that denied victims transparency and further undermined trust in our justice system," Warner said.
He accused Trump of politicising the Justice Department.
"President Trump has repeatedly treated the Department of Justice like a political weapon -- pressuring prosecutors, rewarding loyalty over independence, and using the machinery of federal law enforcement to pursue vengeance against his perceived enemies while shielding his allies from accountability," Warner said.
He warned that such actions weaken the rule of law.
"This kind of abuse subverts the rule of law and corrodes the Justice Department's ability to deliver impartial justice," he said, adding that Americans "deserve a Justice Department that is actually focused on delivering justice".
Reports indicate Bondi's tenure was turbulent, with tensions building over her handling of key cases and internal priorities.
According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, Trump had grown increasingly frustrated, viewing Bondi as ineffective and dissatisfied with her handling of sensitive matters, including files related to Jeffrey Epstein.
The report said that Bondi had tried to align the Justice Department with Trump's priorities, including pursuing cases against his perceived adversaries.
However, several high-profile prosecutions faltered.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor