Federal prosecutors on Wednesday dismissed fraud charges against Carolina Amesty, a former Florida Republican lawmaker, who was represented by Brad Bondi, brother to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Amesty had faced two counts of theft of government property related to COVID relief fraud. Charged in January by the Biden administration, she risked up to 20 years in prison.
In a court filing, Brad Bondi stated that “counsel for Ms. Amesty learned [last month] that the government had ceased its criminal investigation … and withdrew its outstanding subpoenas.” Hours later, prosecutors asked the court to dismiss the case without prejudice.
A Justice Department spokesperson told ABC News, “This decision was made through proper channels and the Attorney General had no role in it.”
Amesty’s spokesperson, Jim Tobin, said neither she nor her lawyers had contact with Pam Bondi. “The government’s decision… was the right and just result on the merits,” he added.
Bondi, retained in December, previously secured a Trump-era pardon for Nikola founder Trevor Milton. The DOJ cited ongoing investigations and extensive defense submissions before dropping the case.