The sudden firing of Attorney General Pam Bondi has thrust a years-old political controversy back into the spotlight. At the center of it is Democratic House Rep. Eric Swalwell, an alleged Chinese spy named Christine Fang, and a claim that Bondi may have warned Swalwell before the FBI could act.
According to the Daily Mail, one of the main reasons for Bondi’s removal was Trump’s belief that she had informed Eric Swalwell about the FBI’s plan to release documents linked to his alleged connection with Christine Fang, who was suspected of being a Chinese intelligence operative.
The FBI was preparing to make these documents, dubbed the 'fang fang files' public, but Trump believed Bondi stepped in before that happened.
"She's intervening in those matters. The White House wasn't pleased she was intervening due to her personal friendship with Swalwell," a source told the Daily Mail.
Also Read: Why Trump fired Pam Bondi as Attorney General, spoke about getting rid of Tulsi Gabbard - Explained
Bondi’s friendship with Swalwell raises concerns
The alleged connection between Swalwell and Christine Fang has been known for some time, but it remains a sensitive topic. Fang is believed to have had ties with several US politicians, with Swalwell being one of them. The FBI was planning to release documents about their relationship and Trump saw Bondi’s reported intervention as a serious issue.
{{/usCountry}}The alleged connection between Swalwell and Christine Fang has been known for some time, but it remains a sensitive topic. Fang is believed to have had ties with several US politicians, with Swalwell being one of them. The FBI was planning to release documents about their relationship and Trump saw Bondi’s reported intervention as a serious issue.
{{/usCountry}}What makes the alleged tip-off even more puzzling is that Swalwell hasn’t been exactly friendly toward Bondi. He has openly criticized her for not prosecuting people who made death threats against him and his family.
In February, at a Capitol Hill hearing, he questioned Bondi about the Justice Department not prosecuting people who had made death threats against him and his family.
Bondi reassured him, saying, "None of you should be threatened, ever. None of your children should be threatened. None of your families should be threatened. You can come into my office any day. I will work with all of you on both sides of the aisle if you are ever threatened."
Yet, the two are believed to have a personal friendship which is something the White House saw as a serious issue given the situation.
Also Read: Pam Bondi’s first reaction to Trump's firing decision revealed: 'Tried to change his mind’
Other reasons why Bondi was fired
The Swalwell situation wasn’t the only source of friction between Trump and Bondi. The President had reportedly been frustrated for some time with what he saw as Bondi’s reluctance to go after his political opponents, especially those he believed had tried to get him imprisoned. Her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files was also a long-standing issue, with her contradictory public statements raising concerns about transparency, according to The Guardian.
The timing of her firing was striking. Just one day before being dismissed, Bondi had gone with Trump to the Supreme Court for a birthright citizenship case and attended his national prime-time address on the Iran war and giving her little sign that her job was at risk.
When Trump told her she was being removed, she didn’t go quietly. According to the Daily Mail, she begged the President for more time. "She was unhappy and tried to change his mind," a source said. Trump, however, stayed firm, and the announcement came shortly after.
However, The White House hasn’t shared more details on the Swalwell claim and it’s unclear if any formal investigation is underway.