On Wednesday, Pam Bondi, the nominee for Attorney General chosen by the newly elected US President Trump (Trump), expressed during a hearing in the Senate that her Department of Justice would not rule out the possibility of investigating Trump’s political opponents, but it would not be for political purposes.
Bondi emphasized that no one would be investigated or prosecuted for political reasons.
At the hearing, Democratic senators were mainly concerned about whether Trump would use the Department of Justice to retaliate against his opponents, including investigating those who investigated him. They pressured Bondi to ensure independence of the Department of Justice from the White House and to reject any unethical behavior requested by the President.
Senator Chris Coons from Delaware asked, “If your colleagues at the Department of Justice present you with a case based on facts and law, but the White House instructs you to drop the case, what would you do?”
Bondi responded, “That would not happen. If I foresaw such a situation, I wouldn’t be sitting here today.”
Senator Dick Durbin, the chief Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, stated, “If you are asked to do something wrong, illegal, or unconstitutional, I need to know that you will say ‘no’ to the President.”
Bondi reiterated that she would not play politics at the Department of Justice and would not prosecute anyone for political reasons. She emphasized that she would uphold the Constitution.
She stressed that her clients are “the public, not the President.”
Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana asked her if she would “find a charge after you’ve decided who to prosecute,” to which she replied, “Of course not,” adding, “I hope no future Attorney General will do that.”
Democrats are concerned that Bondi may be loyal to Trump, noting similarities between her testimony and Trump’s statements during his campaign. They criticized some of Trump’s remarks as incendiary, but Bondi refused to condemn those statements.
Senator Mazie Hirono from Hawaii asked Bondi to reject Trump’s labeling of the supporters arrested on January 6th as “hostages” or “patriots.”
Bondi simply replied, “I am not familiar with that terminology.”
Trump had mentioned granting pardons to all 1,500 people charged in the January 6th event. Bondi refused to say whether she would advise Trump against doing so.
However, Bondi condemned the violence against police and added, “The President himself does not like people who abuse police.”
When asked if Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020, Bondi did not directly answer, only stating that Biden is the President. She acknowledged the election results but hinted at fraud, mentioning her experience as a campaign advocate in Pennsylvania after the election, saying she saw “many things” there.
She said, “We should not wish for any integrity issues in our country’s elections.”
Bondi supported Trump’s assertion that the charges against him amounted to political persecution, stating that the Department of Justice had been weaponized and needed to stop for years.
She said, “They went after Donald Trump, they prosecuted him – in fact, they have been going after his campaign team since 2016. They investigated him numerous times.”
She added, “If I were Attorney General, I would not politicize the position.”
In a heated exchange with Democratic Senator Adam Schiff from California, she pointed out, “Each case will be handled on a case-by-case basis… No one should be prosecuted for political purposes.”
Schiff asked Bondi if she would investigate Jack Smith, the Justice Department special counsel who brought two charges against Trump, but Bondi did not give a clear answer.
She said, “I have not seen any documents… I haven’t seen anything. It is irresponsible to make any commitments without seeing the documents.”
Republicans overwhelmingly supported Bondi and her agenda, which includes protecting citizens’ right to bear arms, free speech, border security, and combating violent crime and terrorism.
Bondi stated, “If confirmed, I will work to restore confidence and integrity in the Department of Justice and its various parts. Under my leadership, partisan disputes and weaponization will no longer exist. America will have a justice system where everyone is treated equally.”
Although Democrats are concerned about Trump politicizing the Department of Justice, Republican senators insist that this has already occurred over the past four years, and Bondi’s election provides an opportunity to change this direction.
Senator Chuck Grassley, the Republican chairman of the Judiciary Committee, cited failures of the Department of Justice over the years, including the “Russia probe” against Trump and a recent memo aimed at protecting school board meetings from “threats” from parents.
Grassley said, “Ms. Bondi, if you are confirmed, take action to establish accountability to change the course of this department so that the behaviors I just described will not happen again.”
By the end of the hearing that day, Bondi’s nomination seemed to be secure in the Republican-majority Senate.
(Adapted from reporting by The Associated Press)