WASHINGTON, Jan 16: Pam Bondi, selected by Donald Trump as his nominee for attorney general, aimed to reassure Democratic senators on Wednesday that her Justice Department would prioritize fair legal practices and not pursue prosecutions based on political motives. However, she did not dismiss the possibility of investigating Trump’s political opponents.
Bondi’s often contentious confirmation hearing revolved around worries that Trump might use the Justice Department’s enforcement capabilities for revenge against those who have scrutinized him.
Democrats challenged her on whether she could maintain the department’s autonomy from presidential influence and whether she could refuse unethical directives from the president. Meanwhile, Republicans celebrated her nomination as a shift away from a Justice Department they accuse of pursuing a liberal agenda and unjustly indicting Trump.
“What would you do if your career DOJ prosecutors brought you a solid case, but the White House instructed you to drop it?” Sen. Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware, inquired.
“Senator,” Bondi responded, “if I believed that scenario would occur, I wouldn’t be here today. That simply will not happen.”
This line of questioning underscored the Democrats’ concerns about her appointment, particularly in light of Trump’s previous attempts to lean on his Justice Department during his first term to address personal grievances, such as pressuring the then FBI director to cease an investigation into an ally and dismissing his first attorney general after they recused themselves from an inquiry into Trump’s 2016 campaign activities. As he begins another term, Trump has called for investigations into perceived adversaries, including the prosecutors and lawmakers who examined allegations related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
“I must know you would tell the president no if asked to perform an unethical, illegal, or unconstitutional act,” stated Sen. Dick Durbin, the leading Democrat on the committee, who noted that Bondi had once represented Trump during his first impeachment trial.
Bondi, who previously served as Florida’s attorney general and was the first woman to do so, reiterated her commitment to steering clear of political influence within the Justice Department or targeting individuals based on political affiliations. She pledged to uphold the Constitution, asserting that the public, not the president, would be her primary concern.
“Absolutely not,” she replied when Republican Sen. John Kennedy from Louisiana asked if she would start with a name to prosecute and then search for a crime. “I hope that no future attorney general will ever do such a thing,” she added.
However, these reassurances did little to dispel Democratic worries regarding her allegiance to Trump. At times, her testimony mirrored Trump’s campaign rhetoric, notably when she refrained from condemning some of his more provocative assertions and frequently referenced the size of Trump’s electoral victory in November — “Look at California’s map, Sen. Schiff. It’s overwhelmingly red” — indicating a perceived mandate for significant changes.
When given an opportunity by Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii to refute Trump’s description of those arrested during the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection as “hostages” or “patriots,” Bondi simply stated: “I’m not familiar with that remark.”
She also declined to assert that she would advise Trump against granting blanket pardons to the 1,500 individuals charged in connection with the attack, which resulted in over 100 police officers being injured. However, Bondi condemned violence against law enforcement, stating, “I won’t speak on behalf of the president, but he also disapproves of those who abuse police officers.”
When directly asked if Trump lost the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden, she limited her response to acknowledging Biden as the current president.
She later stated that she recognized the election results but insinuated fraud might have occurred, referencing her advocacy role for the campaign in Pennsylvania post-election, where she claimed to have observed “many issues” firsthand.
“It’s essential that we uphold election integrity in our nation.” There is no credible evidence of widespread fraud that would have affected the election outcome.
Bondi supported Trump’s assertions that the legal actions against him constituted political persecution, claiming that the Justice Department “has been weaponized for many years, and that has to cease.”
“Donald Trump has been targeted,” Bondi declared. “Since 2016, they have pursued his campaign and launched numerous investigations against him.” She added, “If appointed as attorney general, I will not politicize that office.”
During a heated exchange with Sen. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat and frequent target of Trump’s criticisms, she asserted that “every case will be evaluated individually” and maintained that “no one should be prosecuted for political motives.” However, she hesitated when Schiff questioned whether she would look into Jack Smith, the Justice Department special counsel responsible for two indictments against Trump.
“I haven’t reviewed the file… I haven’t looked into anything. It would be negligent for me to commit to any course of action without examining the file,” she stated.
Amid their cross-talk, Bondi commented that what she was “hearing on the news is dreadful.”
The notion that the investigations into Trump were politically motivated has been fiercely challenged by Attorney General Merrick Garland and Smith. In a report issued this week, Smith asserted that politics had no bearing on his decisions and that the evidence collected by his team was compelling enough to potentially convict Trump for attempts to overturn the outcomes of the 2020 presidential election.
Smith dismissed that case and another concerning Trump’s illegal retention of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate following his electoral victory, citing an established Justice Department policy against prosecuting a sitting president.
The Justice Department, under Garland, also looked into Biden’s handling of classified material — resulting in no charges — and appointed a special counsel to investigate Biden’s son Hunter, who faced tax and gun-related offenses before being pardoned by his father.
Republicans showed strong support for Bondi and her proposed agenda, which she outlined as protecting gun rights, free speech, border security, and combating violent crime and terrorism.
By the end of the day, her confirmation appeared likely in the Republican-controlled Senate. Republicans suggested that the pointed questions from Democrats regarding Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee for FBI director, reflected greater Democratic concern than about Bondi.
“If confirmed, I will strive to restore trust and integrity within the Department of Justice — and all its branches,” Bondi declared. “Under my leadership, any partisanship and weaponization will vanish. America will have one standard of justice for all.”
Even as Democrats expressed trepidation that Trump would politicize the Justice Department, Republican senators contended that politicization had occurred over the past four years and that Bondi’s nomination presented an opportunity for a change in course.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Republican committee chair, enumerated numerous grievances against the Justice Department, including the Trump-Russia investigation and a recent memo from Garland targeting threats perceived from parents at school board meetings.
“Ms. Bondi, if you are confirmed,” Grassley said, “the actions you take to redirect the department must focus on accountability, ensuring that the conduct I outlined never recurs.” (AP)
