A backlash erupted from several hundred Stetson University College of Law graduates after one of its most famous alums testified before Congress on Feb. 11.
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s aggressive testimony regarding the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files resulted in 383 Stetson grads signing on to a letter to the school’s dean.
Bondi reacted harshly to some members of Congress, who accused her of blocking the release of many files related to the Epstein case.
The letter’s main author was Pinellas Park attorney Johnny Bardine. He’s asking Stetson to “reaffirm the ethical principles” that they taught him in law school.
“And to do that, when one of our alums, the most prominent one of them, falls short of that, I think they owe it to the profession and to the institution to call that out and to hold that person to account,” he said.
The signatories include retired Florida 6th Circuit Court Judge Hon. Lynn Tepper, retired Miami-Dade County Court Judge Hon. Joseph I. Davis and retired Pasco County Court Judge Hon. William G. Sestak.
In a written statement, Tepper said: “If she were questioning a witness who answered in the unresponsive manner she did to Congress, she would have demanded the judge hold them in contempt. Yet, when she is the witness, ethical and legal standards are abandoned.”
Bardine has also formally requested a meeting with Dean D. Benjamin Barros to discuss his concern.
The letter states in part: “Despite repeated questioning before the House Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Bondi’s testimony was marked by deflections and a failure to provide clear, substantive answers regarding key decisions about the review process and redactions. Members of Congress from both parties expressed concern about the adequacy and transparency of the Department’s response.”
Bardine said the letter was his idea after watching Bondi’s testimony, which he found to be “embarrassing.”
“Lawyers are taught that integrity matters more than outcome, and we’re simply asking our alma mater to say that clearly and publicly,” Bardine said. “We take an oath to do that. We take an oath of candor and transparency in defending people who can’t defend themselves, and that applies to everyone — even the Attorney General.”
The school issued a email stating that it had no comment.
