Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Department of Justice has dropped fraud charges against a former Republican lawmaker being represented by her brother, Brad Bondi.
Former Florida House Rep. Carolina Amesty was facing up to 20 years in prison for two counts of theft of government property related to COVID-19 relief funds, ABC News reported.
The charges were filed under the Biden administration’s Justice Department in a criminal complaint in mid-January. However, Brad—co-chair of the Investigations and White Collar Defense practice at Paul Hastings—claimed in a Wednesday court filing that the investigation has been dropped.
Brad wrote that he learned last month that “the government had ceased its criminal investigation ... and withdrew its outstanding subpoenas.”
He added, “We understand that the government no longer plans to seek an indictment.” ABC News reported that prosecutors with Bondi’s Justice Department followed in court papers asking the judge to dismiss the previous criminal complaint without prejudice.
On the heels of the charges against her, Amesty, who served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives for Florida’s 45th District from November 2022 to November 2024, accused the Biden administration of making her a political target. In the Biden administration’s complaint, Amesty was accused of stealing or embezzling $122,000 of COVID-19 relief loans, WKMG reported.
In a statement to ABC News, a Justice Department spokesperson insisted that Bondi’s relationship with her brother had no influence on the case’s outcome. “This decision was made through proper channels and the Attorney General had no role in it,” they wrote.
DOJ spokesperson Gates McGavick echoed that sentiment in a statement to the Daily Beast.
Adding in a statement to ABC News, Jim Tobin, a spokesperson for Amesty, said that “neither Carolina Amesty nor her counsel had any communications with the Attorney General regarding the matter.”
Tobin added, “Experienced defense attorney Brad Bondi, who has been representing Ms. Amesty since 2024 and is widely regarded as one of the best attorneys in the country, and his excellent team presented overwhelming evidence of Carolina Amesty’s innocence to prosecutors.”
“The government’s decision today to ask the court to dismiss the criminal complaint was the right and just result on the merits,” the statement concluded.
The Daily Beast has contacted White House representatives on how the case could trigger potential ethics investigations.
