For the second time in less than a month, the U.S. Department of Justice has abruptly dropped high-profile criminal charges against a client represented by Brad Bondi, the brother of Attorney General Pam Bondi. This latest decision, announced on August 27, 2025, has reignited debate about prosecutorial discretion, departmental policy shifts, and the optics of high-powered legal connections at the highest levels of government.
According to reporting by ABC News and The Daily Beast, federal prosecutors in Missouri agreed this week to voluntarily dismiss an indictment against Sid Chakraverty, a property developer who faced felony wire fraud charges. Prosecutors under the Biden administration had accused Chakraverty in 2024 of lying about hiring women- and minority-owned subcontractors on a housing development in order to secure favorable tax incentives. The case, which had been moving through the courts for over a year, was viewed by some as a bellwether for the federal government’s approach to enforcing anti-discrimination requirements in public contracting.
But on Wednesday, Thomas Albus, the newly installed U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri and a Trump appointee, filed court papers informing the judge that the “defendants have agreed to make restitution of the taxes” and that it was now “prudent for the government to end this criminal prosecution.” Albus explained that the decision to drop charges was part of a department-wide directive to no longer prosecute cases accused of violating “race- and sex-based presumptions like the [disadvantaged business enterprise] program” in St. Louis.
This policy shift is significant. The disadvantaged business enterprise program was designed to encourage participation by women- and minority-owned firms in government contracts. Critics of the program, however, have argued that it can be difficult to enforce fairly and may be vulnerable to abuse or legal challenge. The DOJ’s new directive, as cited by Albus, suggests a reassessment of how such cases are prioritized or prosecuted at the federal level. Whether this change signals a broader trend remains to be seen, but the immediate impact is clear: charges against Chakraverty are off the table, at least for now.
The timing and circumstances of the dismissal have drawn considerable attention, especially given Brad Bondi’s role as Chakraverty’s lead attorney. Bondi, who officially joined the case in July 2025 but had reportedly been working on it since before the 2024 election, is co-chair of the Investigations and White Collar Defense practice at Paul Hastings and is well-known in legal circles for his expertise in complex federal cases. His proximity to Pam Bondi, the current U.S. Attorney General, has raised eyebrows in some quarters, with critics questioning whether the relationship could create an appearance of a conflict of interest—even if none actually exists.
In response to these concerns, a Justice Department spokesperson told ABC News that the “decision was made through proper channels and the Attorney General had no role in it.” The department has repeatedly emphasized that Pam Bondi’s relationship with her brother had no bearing on the outcome of these cases. Still, the optics are hard to ignore, particularly in the context of recent events.
This is not the first time in recent weeks that charges have been dropped against a client represented by Brad Bondi. Just weeks earlier, federal prosecutors in Florida agreed to drop charges against Carolina Amesty, a former Florida House Representative who faced two counts of theft of government property related to alleged COVID relief fraud. Amesty, who was facing up to 20 years in prison, had hired Bondi in December 2024, shortly after his sister was appointed Attorney General by President Donald Trump. The DOJ’s reversal in that case, too, led to speculation about the influence of high-profile legal counsel and the possibility of preferential treatment for well-connected defendants.
The legal team defending Chakraverty, which also included Renato Mariotti and Jeff Jensen, was quick to claim victory. James McCarthy, a spokesperson for Chakraverty and his alleged co-conspirator Victor Alston, praised Bondi and his colleagues for their efforts. “[Sid and Vic] credit the wisdom and integrity of their counsel, especially Brad Bondi, Renato Mariotti, and Jeff Jensen, who righteously and compellingly made clear that this case should never have been brought and that it could not withstand the scrutiny of either a jury of St. Louisans or the jurists of the federal courts,” McCarthy said in a statement to ABC News.
McCarthy went on to note a striking development: “That was clear when, just two days after the team filed its motion to dismiss, the City of St. Louis suspended the untenable and unconstitutional policy that formed the entire basis of the unjust charges against Sid and Vic.” This sequence of events—legal motions followed by both the city’s policy suspension and the DOJ’s decision to drop charges—has only added to the intrigue and controversy surrounding the case.
Despite these legal victories, not all recent news has been positive for Brad Bondi. In June 2025, he suffered a landslide loss in his bid to lead the Washington D.C. Bar Association, with 90% of the association’s 38,000 members voting for his opponent, Diane Seltzer. While this setback may seem unrelated, it highlights the high-profile nature of Bondi’s career and the scrutiny that comes with it.
The DOJ’s new directive to step back from prosecuting cases involving "race- and sex-based presumptions" like those at the heart of the disadvantaged business enterprise program is likely to have ripple effects beyond St. Louis. Legal analysts and activists are already debating the implications for future cases and for the broader fight against discrimination in public contracting. Some see the move as a pragmatic response to legal and political realities, while others worry it could undermine efforts to promote equity and accountability.
For now, the department maintains that its recent decisions have been made strictly on the merits and in accordance with evolving policy priorities. The DOJ spokesperson reiterated to ABC News that “this decision was made through proper channels and the Attorney General had no role in it.” Whether this will be enough to quell concerns about conflicts of interest and transparency remains to be seen.
The dropping of charges against Sid Chakraverty and Carolina Amesty underscores the complex interplay between legal advocacy, prosecutorial discretion, and public perception. As the Justice Department continues to navigate these waters, all eyes will be on how it balances the demands of justice, fairness, and accountability in an era where even the appearance of impropriety can spark widespread debate.
