Stetson Law Alumni Launch Donor Boycott Over AG Pam Bondi’s Conduct
GULFPORT, FL — Leadership at the Stetson University College of Law is facing an escalating donor revolt as more than 500 alumni vow to withhold funding until the institution publicly denounces U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The coordinated “strike” follows a contentious February 11 congressional hearing where Bondi, a 1990 Stetson graduate, faced bipartisan fire over the Department of Justice’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking files. Alumni, including prominent former judges and veteran attorneys, contend that Bondi’s performance was “inconsistent” with the ethical standards and professionalism the Florida law school prides itself on.
The Catalyst: Congressional Testimony and Epstein Files
The push for a boycott intensified after Bondi’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. Critics, including the author of the protest letter, attorney Johnny J. Bardine, characterized her responses as “deflections” and a failure to provide transparency regarding flawed redactions in the Epstein files. Those errors reportedly led to the leaking of victims’ names while protecting alleged associates of the disgraced financier.
“This isn’t about politics,” Bardine said. “We want Stetson Law School to reaffirm its ideals of professionalism. We don’t believe those ideals were represented by Bondi during that hearing.”
“Closing Our Wallets”
The group strategically timed their boycott to coincide with the school’s recent fundraising efforts. Rachael Reese, an attorney participating in the strike, confirmed that the movement has expanded beyond a simple letter.
“We began a strike of closing all of our wallets,” Reese stated. “We’ve reached out to the Board of Trustees. We’re making this much bigger than people originally thought.”
Signatories include retired Florida 6th Circuit Court Judge Lynn Tepper, who criticized Bondi’s conduct as a witness. Tepper noted that if any witness in her courtroom had answered in Bondi’s unresponsive manner, she would have considered them in contempt of court.
Institutional Neutrality vs. Ethical Accountability
Stetson Law leadership has resisted the pressure. In an official statement, the university cited a policy of “institutional neutrality on political matters,” declining to comment on the conduct of its alumni.
Dean D. Benjamin Barros met with Bardine and other organizers last month, but the meeting yielded no resolution. The alumni group argues that because Bondi is one of the school’s most visible graduates, her actions as the nation’s top law enforcement officer reflect directly on the institution’s values.
The organizers plan to continue their outreach to current students and the broader alumni network, maintaining that the boycott will persist until the college takes a formal stand on the ethical expectations of its graduates.
