Attorney general's chief of staff to depart Justice Department following tumultuous few months

Source: CNN Politics

Updated Sep 23, 2025, 2:37 PM ET
PUBLISHED Sep 23, 2025, 1:04 PM ET


Attorney General Pam Bondi’s chief of staff, Chad Mizelle, is leaving the Justice Department, the attorney general and her deputy confirmed in statements provided to CNN on Tuesday.

Bondi said Mizelle served the department “with professionalism, sound judgement, and dedication” and “played a central role in coordinating the Department’s operations, ensuring its resources were aligned and our efforts were carried out with integrity and efficiency.”

Mizelle’s decision to leave the Justice Department comes as Bondi faces pressure on multiple fronts, including President Donald Trump’s call for her to prosecute his political enemies. “Pam: I have reviewed over 30 statements and posts saying that, essentially, ‘same old story as last time, all talk, no action. Nothing is being done,’” the president said on Truth Social over the weekend.

Mizelle’s planned departure, which multiple sources had previously confirmed to CNN, also comes as the department faces intense backlash over its decision not to release any additional evidence related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation after Bondi made assurances she would do so. Multiple sources said Mizelle’s departure is not related to Epstein, but nine months is a comparatively short tenure for a chief of staff.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/23/politics/chad-mizelle-pam-bondi-doj