The Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, has officially dropped fraud charges against former Florida state lawmaker Carolina Amesty — and the case is grabbing national attention because her defense attorney is Bondi’s brother.
According to ABC News, Amesty was staring down up to 20 years in prison after being charged in January with two counts of theft of government property tied to COVID-19 relief funds. Prosecutors under the Biden administration accused her of stealing or embezzling $122,000 in pandemic loan money, News 6 reported.
The criminal complaint came just months after Amesty finished her term representing Florida’s 45th District in the state House, where she served from November 2022 to November 2024. At the time, she claimed she was being politically targeted by the Biden administration.
But this week, her legal troubles took a dramatic turn. In a Wednesday court filing, her lawyer — Brad Bondi, a prominent defense attorney with the global firm Paul Hastings — revealed that the DOJ had ended its investigation and withdrawn its subpoenas.
“We understand that the government no longer plans to seek an indictment,” Brad wrote, adding that he learned of the decision last month. Prosecutors followed up in court by asking a judge to dismiss the case without prejudice, meaning it could technically be refiled in the future.
The fact that Amesty’s attorney is Pam Bondi’s brother quickly sparked speculation about whether family ties played a role in the DOJ’s decision. But the department strongly denies it.
“This decision was made through proper channels and the Attorney General had no role in it,” a DOJ spokesperson told ABC News. Gates McGavick, another DOJ spokesperson, repeated that message to the Daily Beast.
Amesty’s camp is also pushing back on the idea of special treatment. “Neither Carolina Amesty nor her counsel had any communications with the Attorney General regarding the matter,” her spokesperson Jim Tobin said.
Tobin praised Brad Bondi as “one of the best attorneys in the country” and credited his legal team with presenting “overwhelming evidence of Carolina Amesty’s innocence to prosecutors.” He called the dismissal “the right and just result on the merits.”
While the criminal case may be closed for now, the Daily Beast reports that questions remain about whether the circumstances could lead to ethics investigations, particularly given the high-profile family connection.
For Amnesty, the decision marks a major legal victory after months of uncertainty. For Bondi’s DOJ, it’s another high-stakes case under scrutiny — and one that’s likely to keep political and legal circles buzzing for some time.
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