Better Call ... Todd Blanche?
Pam Bondi is out as attorney general — and her 14-month tenure makes her the shortest timer as the nation's top lawyer since Watergate. To put it all into context, NPR’s Justice Correspondent Carrie Johnson joins Elise and Jena to discuss what’s next for the so-called “Justice” Department when it comes to the Epstein-related investigations under acting AG Todd Blanche. They discuss Bondi’s biggest missteps with the Epstein files, what’s next for DOJ, and what avenues might exist for the growing chorus of Americans who don’t want the misdeeds of the billionaire class to be shoved under the rug.
Mentioned in this Episode
NPR: Trump Removes Bondi as Attorney General
Time: Bondi Won't Appear Before House Oversight
Fox News: Todd Blanche on the Epstein Files
DOJ: Dr. Larry Nassar's abuse investigation
Time: EPA Head Lee Zeldin as potential AG
NYMag: Judge Jeanine Pirro as potential AG
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Carrie Johnson is a Supreme Court and Justice Correspondent for NPR.
She covers a variety of stories about justice issues, law enforcement, and legal affairs for NPR's flagship programs and podcasts.
In recent years, Johnson has exposed misconduct by federal judges and uncovered systemic problems with internal accountability systems in the judiciary that fail to protect its most vulnerable employees. She's also reported widely on tensions between the executive branch and the federal bench, including a rise in threats against district court judges.
Johnson has followed the work of the Justice Department through the past four presidents, from a renewed focus on national security and civil rights into the norm-breaking tumult of the second Trump administration. She's adept at finding the vivid anecdotes at the heart of major news stories, from federal workers caught up in political sting operations, to the memes around the sandwich thrower in Washington, D.C.
Her work has been honored with awards from the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, the Society for Professional Journalists, and SABEW. She served as a fellow at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University from 2019-2020. In 2021, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers honored Johnson with a rarely-bestowed Champion of Justice award for her journalism work.
She has been a finalist for the Loeb Award for financial journalism and for the Pulitzer Prize in breaking news.
