Pam Bondi’s original sin: The framing of George Zimmerman

Note: This column first appeared on Jack Cashill’s substack.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has trouble enough on her hands. I write not to add on to her woes, but to seize the opportunity to call attention to those poor souls sacrificed on the altar of racial appeasement, most notably George Zimmerman, but also Greg and Travis McMichael. They share the dubious honor of being abandoned by Republican governors and attorney generals too spineless to resist a Democrat-fueled mob.

Bondi’s original sin was her framing of Zimmerman for the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin. I use the word “framing” with precision. I know the case as well as anyone other than Zimmerman and his attorneys. I wrote the definitive book on the subject, “If I Had a Son,” and consulted extensively with Joel Gilbert on his brilliantly researched film and companion book, “The Trayvon Hoax.” Over the years, I have become good friends with George and see him often. I have witnessed up close the toll the injustice he suffered has taken on his life.

There is no doubt that Zimmerman, 28 years old at the time, shot and killed the 17-year-old Martin. But there is also no doubt that Zimmerman was framed for Martin’s murder. He should never have been arrested, and should never have had to stand trial. He was saved from a life in prison by a six-woman jury too naive to anticipate the public shaming that awaited them when they voted to acquit.

Within weeks of the Feb. 26, 2012, shooting it was clear to anyone paying attention — shout out here to Sundance and the “Treepers” at the Conservative Tree House — that Zimmerman was the victim of a vicious, unprovoked assault by an aspiring MMA fighter nearly half-a-foot taller. Had Zimmerman not shot Martin he very likely would have been beaten to death.

On March 23, 2012, then-President Barack Obama yielded to the pressure from a leftist mob hopped up on four weeks of disinformation. By this time, the White House had access to all of the information the Sanford Police Department did. The courageous step for Obama would have been to defend the Sanford Police and to demand an end to the media lynching of Zimmerman — a Hispanic Obama supporter and civil rights activist.

As an African-American, Obama had more latitude to speak out than a white politician would have. He chose not to. Concluded Obama after some meaningless temporizing: “But my main message is to the parents of Trayvon — If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon.”

The State of Florida’s Republican leadership showed no more courage than Obama. After consulting with then-Attorney General Bondi, Gov. Rick Scott appointed Angela Corey as special prosecutor and washed his hands of the mess on his doorstep.

A week after Obama threw in with Martin’s family, Bondi did as well. She called his negligent parents “amazing people” and described the family attorneys as “friends of mine.” Ever judicious, Bondi added, “You never want to make an arrest too soon. We need justice, but you never want to make an arrest without having all the answers.” That said, she too backed away from the case — well, almost backed away.

Those “friends of mine,” most notably Martin attorney Benjamin Crump, were in the process of making Bondi’s life more difficult. Crump was badgering “Diamond,” the girl who was on the phone with Martin in the moments before his death, to tell the state attorneys a story Crump had concocted. ABC’s Matt Gutman might as well have been Crump’s press agent, headlining his article, “Trayvon Martin’s Last Phone Call Triggers Demand for Arrest Right Now.”

On April 2, 2012, State Attorney Bernie de la Rionda showed up in Miami expecting to depose Martin’s girlfriend, but the 16-year-old Diamond refused to perjure herself. The girl de la Rionda met instead was the 19-year-old, mentally challenged, morbidly obese Rachel Jeantel. Crump and Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, insisted that Jeantel was Martin’s girlfriend, the “phone witness” who would testify that it was Zimmerman who provoked Martin. This interview led promptly to Zimmerman’s arrest.

Fearful of backlash from the Left, the state attorneys allowed the charade to proceed. For months, they did their best to hide Jeantel not only from the public but also from Zimmerman’s attorneys. Sensing something amiss, the defense attorneys asked to depose Crump. After a judge ruled against them, they appealed. In April 2013, Bondi put her thumb on the scale of justice and left fingerprints. She wrote a 41-page document arguing against the defense team’s request. Their request was denied.

The case proceeded to trial. In June 2013, Jeantel took the stand and tried to relate the story that Crump had fed her. For those who cared to see, her testimony confirmed what a sham the whole proceeding had been, but few bothered looking. The media had convinced their audiences to reject the evidence of their eyes and ears.

When Zimmerman was acquitted in July, the left erupted in outrage. Said Crump, “Trayvon Martin will forever remain in the annals of history next to Medgar Evers and Emmett Till, as symbols for the fight for equal justice for all.” Al Sharpton called the verdict an “atrocity.” In sympathy, three Marxist females coined the phrase “black lives matter” and launched a movement.

The useful idiots in the entertainment world joined the mindless rush to pile on. In Ireland, Bruce Springsteen sang a song in Trayvon’s honor. Justin Timberlake dedicated a song to Trayvon in Yankee Stadium. Stevie Wonder promised to boycott Florida unless the state repealed its Stand Your Ground law, which had nothing to do with the trial. Beyoncé sang “I will always love you” to Trayvon in Nashville then joined billionaire multimedia mogul Jay-Z for a vigil in New York.

Although legally and rightfully cleared of a crime, Zimmerman has ever since been forced to live in the shadows. In 2015, he survived an assassination attempt by inches. In 2018, Jay-Z inserted a fatwa of sorts into a rap song, “Y’all killed X and let Zimmerman live / Streets is done.” For George, death threats are still routine. He cannot use his own name to apply to school or look for a job.

Cowed into silence, the establishment right has done nothing to set the record straight. Angela Corey called Zimmerman a “murderer” after he was acquitted. If Bondi said anything about the verdict, I have not seen it. Bondi is in no position now to save anyone but herself, but those inquiring into her fitness to serve should detour to Florida. Epstein is dead, but Zimmerman lives, and he deserves restitution.

In neighboring Georgia, the case of Greg and Travis McMichael is even more tragic. Republican Brian Kemp has been the governor throughout their ordeal and has done nothing to address this horrific injustice. As I documented in detail in an earlier Substack article, Greg and Travis were involved in the February 2020 shooting death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery, a chronic thief and troublemaker with documented mental health issues.

After reviewing the evidence, including a video of the shooting, local District Attorney George Barnhill chose not to bring charges against the father and son. The McMichaels, Barnhill argued, “were following, in ‘hot pursuit’ a burglary suspect, with solid first hand probable cause, in their neighborhood, and asking/ telling him to stop. It appears their intent was to stop and hold this criminal suspect until law enforcement arrived. Under Georgia Law this is perfectly legal.” No new evidence surfaced to contradict Barnhill’s opinion.

What did surface was a media-driven, politically motivated mob. Under mounting pressure, State of Georgia officials took control of the case from the local officials and arrested the McMichaels for murder on May 7, 2020.

The pressure would only grow. Weeks after the arrest of the McMichaels, George Floyd died while in police custody in Minneapolis. The effect on all racially charged trials everywhere in the United States was profound. Georgia was no exception. In November 2021, the McMichaels were convicted of murder. On January 7, 2022, Judge Timothy Walmsley sentenced father and son to life without parole.

Pam Bondi is not responsible for the fate of the McMichaels. I would ask those influencers who have poured so much energy into her role in the Epstein affair to divert a little of their attention to George Zimmerman and the McMichaels. Whatever Epstein did is not likely to be repeated, but the railroading of innocent men to expiate the vengeful Gods of race continues as we speak.

Note: This column first appeared on Cashill’s substack. Please subscribe.