AG hopeful vows to rid DOJ of ‘partisan weaponization,’ spars with Schiff
Attorney general nominee Pam Bondi vowed to rid the Department of Justice of “partisan weaponization” during a fiery Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, which saw Democrats acknowledge Bondi’s “competence” and “relevant experience” and instead turn their ire to President-elect Donald Trump.
Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, pushed back on Democrats who questioned whether she accepts the results of the 2020 election, if she will implement an “enemies list” at the Department of Justice, and whether she will cave to White House pressure to investigate political rivals.
“I believe the Justice Department must be independent and must act independently,” said Bondi, who rejected speculation from nearly all Democratic committee members that she will open or close investigations based on orders from the White House.
“I wouldn’t be a prosecutor, I wouldn’t be attorney general, if anyone asked me to do something improper and I felt I had to carry that out. Of course, I would not do that,” Bondi said.
Bondi’s hearing came roughly six weeks after Trump dropped his first attorney general pick, Matt Gaetz (R., Fla.), as the former congressman faced allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. Prior to the move, Gaetz’s confirmation hearing was expected to be the most contentious of Trump’s cabinet picks. Instead, up and down the dais, Democrats acknowledged that Bondi has the qualifications for the job, though they also expressed concern over her loyalty to Trump.
“At issue … is not your competence nor your experience. At issue is your ability to say, ‘No,’” said Sen. Dick Durbin (D., Ill.), the ranking member of the Judiciary panel. “You demonstrably have the relevant experience,” said Sen. Chris Coons (D., Del.).
Democrats, as anticipated, focused on Bondi’s legal work for the Trump White House during the first impeachment, as well as her role as an advocate for the Trump campaign during the 2020 election. One by one, Democrats asked Bondi about her views on that election and whether she supports pardons for Jan. 6 rioters convicted of attacking police officers.
“I accept the results. I accept, of course, that Joe Biden is president of the United States,” Bondi said of the 2020 race. She sidestepped questions about potential pardons for violent Jan. 6 rioters but said she “condemn[s] any violence on a law enforcement officer in this country.”
The barrage of Trump-related questions culminated in an especially intense exchange with Sen. Adam Schiff (D., Calif.), a manager of the first Trump impeachment trial and leading proponent of the debunked conspiracy theory that Trump colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election.
After Schiff claimed Bondi would be unwilling to “say, ‘No’” to Trump, the nominee shot back that Schiff has been accused of leaking information related to the Trump-Russia probe. She added, “You were censured by Congress for comments just like this. You are so reckless.”
.@SenAdamSchiff: “Will you be able to review hundreds of cases on day one? Of course you won’t…”
Pam Bondi: “You were censured by Congress, Senator, for comments just like this.”
Watch complete exchange between Sen. Schiff and Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi. pic.twitter.com/oy0lo03gAR
— CSPAN (@cspan) January 15, 2025
Republicans rallied strongly behind Bondi and criticized Democrats’ “gotcha” questions about Trump.
“It appears as though Trump Derangement Syndrome is alive and well,” said Sen. Eric Schmitt (R., Mo.). “The focus of these questions today are disturbing. The American people rejected all of this. Their obsession with President Trump didn’t bode well for them electorally.”
Bondi, who is widely expected to win confirmation from the GOP-controlled Senate, found common ground with Democrats on some issues, such as the False Claims Act, which places stiff penalties on companies that engage in fraud, and the Kids Online Safety Act, aimed at protecting children from online predators.
Bondi offered Republicans assurances on a litany of other issues. She said she would “investigate the investigators” and recalled the prosecution of former FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith, who was convicted of falsifying evidence to obtain a surveillance warrant against the Trump campaign during the Russia probe.
Bondi said she supports the designation of Mexican drug cartels as terrorist groups and said one of the first issues she would review is the agency’s use of the left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center as a policy resource.
“I think you’re the perfect pick,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.).
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