Bondi Directs DOJ to Challenge Biden’s Death Row Commutations

Before leaving office, former President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of multiple death row inmates, sparking controversy.

Now, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is working to reverse those decisions, urging state officials to pursue the death penalty for those affected.

In a letter to Department of Justice (DOJ) employees on Wednesday, Bondi criticized Biden’s actions, stating that his decision to grant the commutations “undermine[d] our justice system and subvert[ed] the rule of law.”

“The commutations also robbed the victims’ families of the justice promised — and fought hard to achieve — by the Department of Justice,” Bondi wrote. “The Department of Justice is directed to immediately commence the following actions to achieve justice for the victims’ families of the 37 commuted murderers.”

She further called for efforts to “explore opportunities to provide a public forum for the victims’ families to express how the commutations affected them personally,” labeling it as an “important step” in fostering trust and ensuring accountability, according to Fox News.

Bondi also outlined a plan for U.S. attorneys’ offices to utilize state law rather than federal law to seek the death penalty in cases where sentences were reduced. This, she emphasized, would be done “where appropriate and legally permissible” and only “after consultation with the families of the victims and other interested parties.”

“The Capital Case Section shall assist the United States Attorney’s Offices in implementing this directive,” Bondi’s letter stated.

Additionally, she directed the Federal Bureau of Prisons to ensure that the conditions of confinement for the 37 individuals granted commutations reflect the security risks they pose due to their “egregious crimes, criminal histories, and all other relevant considerations.”

In December, Biden commuted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates, reducing them to life in prison without parole.

At the time, the White House justified the decision by stating that it would prevent the incoming administration under President-elect Donald Trump from “carrying out the execution sentences that would not be handed down under current policy and practice.”

“The President’s criminal justice record has transformed individual lives and positively impacted communities, especially historically marginalized communities,” the White House said in a statement. “In the coming weeks, the President will take additional steps to provide meaningful second chances and continue to review additional pardons and commutations.”

Biden, however, left three mass killers on death row: Dylann Roof, responsible for killing nine people at a church in Charleston, South Carolina; Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who carried out the Boston Marathon bombing; and Robert Bowers, who attacked the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018.

Bondi also made headlines recently after the DOJ sued New York state, Governor Kathy Hochul, and Attorney General Letitia James, alleging they violated federal law by protecting undocumented immigrants.

“This is a new DOJ,” Bondi stated at a press conference. “New York has chosen to prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens. It stops. It stops today.”

Mark Schroeder, commissioner of the New York Department of Motor Vehicles, has also been named in the lawsuit. Bondi referenced New York’s Green Light laws, also known as the Driver’s License Act, which allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses.

The legislation prevents certain federal agencies from accessing driver’s license records in New York State.

“They have green light laws, meaning they’re giving a green light to any illegal alien in New York, where law enforcement officers cannot check their identity if they pull them over,” Bondi said. “And law enforcement officers do not have access to their background. And if these great men and women pull over someone and don’t have access to their background, they have no idea who they’re dealing with, and it puts their lives on the line every single day.”

“If you don’t comply with federal law, we will hold you accountable,” Bondi added. “We did it to Illinois, strike one. Strike two is New York. And if you are a state not complying with federal law, you’re next. Get ready.”

Last week, the Justice Department petitioned a federal judge to nullify sanctuary laws in Chicago and Illinois.