by Jorge Gomez • 6 minutes
President-elect Donald Trump recently nominated Pam Bondi to lead the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) as the next U.S. Attorney General. Bondi served as Florida’s 37th Attorney General from 2011 to 2019. She most recently served as an attorney at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI). She received her law degree from Stetson Law School.
“We congratulate our friend Pam Bondi on her nomination to become the next U.S. Attorney General,” said First Liberty President, CEO & Chief Counsel Kelly Shackelford. “Pam is a passionate advocate for religious freedom and is widely recognized as a leading defender of the First Amendment. She is an exceptional attorney with decades of experience as a prosecutor and in public service. She is an outstanding choice to lead the U.S. Department of Justice.”
As the top agency in the country in charge of enforcing federal law and the administration of justice, the DOJ is frequently involved in religious liberty litigation.
The DOJ has shown support for First Liberty’s cases and clients throughout different presidential administrations. In August, the DOJ filed a statement in federal court supporting our clients, Pastor Jose Castro and Gethsemani Baptist Church. Their food distribution ministry is under attack by city officials, and the DOJ claims that city leaders are stifling the church’s religious mission to feed people in need.
The DOJ also filed criminal charges against vandals who defaced and spray-painted threatening messages on the property of our client, Heartbeat of Miami, a faith-based ministry that provides life-affirming services and support to women and couples facing unplanned pregnancies in Hialeah, Florida.
First Liberty secured a major victory that ended decades of discrimination against the Orthodox Jewish community in Airmont, New York. The DOJ supported our clients in that case by filing a lawsuit against the village over its discriminatory actions.
Bondi’s record shows she will be a strong ally of religious liberty as the nation’s top law enforcement official.
Supported Coach Kennedy’s Religious Freedom Case at the U.S. Supreme Court
In 2022, Bondi and AFPI filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting First Liberty’s Supreme Court case on behalf of Coach Joe Kennedy. Their brief was filed on behalf of legendary football coach Lou Holtz and former NFL player Jack Brewer, who presented the long history of religious expression in sports.
“AFPI is proud to support Coach Kennedy’s case and stand up for Americans’ constitutional rights,” Bondi said. “Every American has the right to engage in individual religious expression without the fear of losing their job. It is our hope that the Court will uphold religious freedoms in our Nation so that no American will have to be faced with choosing between their faith and their livelihood.”
“Our great Nation was founded on the sacred right of every American to practice his or her faith in peace without fear of retribution, repression, or retaliation by any cultural movement or government officials seeking to coerce compliance against personal religious conscience,” Bondi added. “Coach Kennedy’s case serves as a reminder to us all of the fragility of our liberties—especially religious liberty.”
Defended Military Heroes Seeking Religious Exemptions to Vaccine Mandate
Bondi and AFPI also supported and fought on behalf of service members who were punished for seeking legal, religious accommodations to the military COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Bondi filed an amicus brief supporting First Liberty’s Navy SEAL clients, who had their careers and livelihoods threatened with punishment, involuntary separation, and even court-martial. Bondi also filed a lawsuit on behalf of 36 members of the U.S. Air Force who were being mistreated and punished for their religious convictions.
“The Constitutional Litigation Partnership stands strong in supporting the United States Navy SEALS in their fight against the unconstitutional vaccine mandate,” Bondi said. “No one, including our military, should be required to choose between violating their religious beliefs and serving our country. These heroes have selflessly served our Nation and dedicated their lives to protecting our freedoms—it is now our turn to protect theirs.”
In July 2024, First Liberty secured a full and complete victory for our U.S. Navy SEAL clients and thousands of Navy service members.
Advocated to Protect Religious Organizations from Obamacare Contraceptive Mandate
In 2012, Bondi joined a lawsuit filed by several states against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As part of the so-called Affordable Care Act, HHS issued a mandate requiring employers—including religious organizations and faith-based businesses—to purchase insurance for contraception and sterilization.
The Obamacare mandate would effectively force many faith-based groups and companies to violate their religious convictions. The lawsuit argued that the HHS requirement violated the First Amendment protection of religious liberty and the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
“The mandate infringes on religious liberty, which is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution—the same amendment that protects freedom of speech,” Bondi wrote in an op-ed for the Tampa Bay Times. “The federal government cannot dictate that a religious institution must violate its religious beliefs. My role in the recently filed lawsuit is about fulfilling my duty to uphold the Constitution and defend Americans’ freedom.”
When the mandate went into effect, Bondi and a group of 13 state Attorneys General sent a letter urging HHS to adopt broader religious exceptions.
Supported State Constitutional Amendment to End Religious Discrimination
Bondi drafted the language of an important “Religious Freedom Amendment” to Florida’s constitution. The proposal would eliminate the state’s ban on public funding for religious organizations, a provision that affected and discriminated against faith-based schools. Florida and many states adopted these provisions in the 19th century, which were largely rooted in anti-Catholic sentiment.
“Voters deserve an opportunity to decide whether to remove from Florida’s constitution a provision that discriminates against religious institutions,” Bondi said in a statement.
The amendment was supported by major religious groups in the Sunshine State, including the Florida Baptist Convention and the Florida Catholic Conference. The language read:
“Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution providing that no individual or entity may be denied, on the basis of religious identity or belief, governmental benefits, funding, or other support, except as required by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, and deleting the prohibition against using revenues from the public treasury directly or indirectly in aid of any church, sect, or religious denomination or in aid of any sectarian institution.”
The measure was presented to Florida voters during the 2012 election cycle, who ultimately voted against it.
Opportunity to Build on Trump Administration’s First-Term Record
The first Trump administration put in place several policies at the DOJ that were favorable for religious freedom:
Bondi will have an opportunity to continue these positive actions for religious liberty as the next Attorney General.
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