Bondi Directs DOJ to Challenge Biden’s Death Row Commutations
Before leaving office, former President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of multiple individuals on federal death row, altering their punishments to life in prison without parole.
Now, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is taking steps to overturn those decisions, urging state officials to pursue the death penalty for the affected inmates.
In a letter addressed to Department of Justice (DOJ) employees on Wednesday, Bondi criticized Biden’s actions, stating they “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. She then directed the DOJ to “immediately commence the following actions to achieve justice for the victims’ families of the 37 commuted murderers.”
One of those actions, according to Bondi, is to “explore opportunities to provide a public forum for the victims’ families to express how the commutations affected them personally.” She described this as an “important step” in fostering trust and ensuring accountability, Fox News reported.
Bondi also instructed U.S. attorneys’ offices to pursue charges under state laws rather than federal statutes against individuals whose death sentences had been reduced. However, she noted this would be done only “where appropriate and legally permissible” and “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 stated in the letter.
Furthermore, she directed the Federal Bureau of Prisons to ensure that all 37 commuted inmates are housed under conditions that reflect the “security risks those inmates present because of their egregious crimes, criminal histories, and all other relevant considerations.”
Biden’s decision in late December meant that 37 individuals were removed from federal death row, their sentences changed to life without parole.
At the time, the White House justified the move by stating that it would prevent the incoming administration of 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.”
However, Biden chose to keep three high-profile mass killers on death row: Dylann Roof, responsible for the Charleston church massacre; Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who carried out the Boston Marathon bombing; and Robert Bowers, the perpetrator of the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh in 2018.
In a separate development, Bondi made headlines last week when the DOJ filed a lawsuit against New York state, Governor Kathy Hochul, and Attorney General Letitia James, alleging they had violated federal law by shielding illegal immigrants.
“This is a new DOJ,” Bondi declared during a press conference. “New York has chosen to prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens. It stops. It stops today.”
The lawsuit also includes charges against Mark Schroeder, New York’s Department of Motor Vehicles commissioner. Bondi cited New York’s Green Light laws, commonly referred to as the Driver’s License Act, which allows illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses and limits federal agencies’ access to state driving records.
“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 stated. “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.”
Bondi made it clear that the DOJ intends to hold noncompliant states accountable.
“If you don’t comply with federal law, we will hold you accountable,” she warned. “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.”
Just last week, the Justice Department petitioned a federal judge to strike down sanctuary policies in both Chicago and Illinois.