Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday ready to spar with Democrat members of the Committee and armed with a binder full of of negative and embarrassing information about them.
Bondi testified that the Department of Justice under her leadership is “ending the weaponization of justice” and “returning to our core mission of fighting real crime.”
While indicating there will be accountability for past abuses of power, Bondi emphasized that the Justice Department is focused now on tackling violent crime in cities like Washington D.C. and Memphis, rather than pursuing politically motivated investigations.
Bondi’s testimony came two weeks after the Justice Department indicted disgraced former FBI Director James Comey for lying to Congress, and days after President Trump deployed National Guard troops to Chicago, Illinois and Portland, Oregon.
The attorney general clashed with Senators. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and other Democrats throughout the contentious hearing.
During a heated exchange with Blumenthal concerning a merger involving her former firm, Ballard Partners, Bondi took the opportunity to air accusations that he lied about his military record.
“In the merger that took place involving American Express GBT (Global Business Travel), I understand that Brian Ballard, a longtime backer and head of the law firm where you worked, was instrumental in lobbying the Justice Department to drop that lawsuit … What conversations did you have with Mr. Ballard?” Blumenthal asked.
“Sen. Blumenthal, I cannot believe that you would accuse me of impropriety when you lied about your military service. You lied — you admitted you lied to be elected a U.S. senator,” she said.
“How dare you? I’m a career prosecutor. Don’t you ever challenge my integrity,” she added. “Do not question my ability to be fair and impartial as attorney general, or anything regarding my former firm, Ballard Partners.”
Blumenthal has previously admitted that said he had “misspoken” about his service, but that it was “absolutely unintentional.”
The senator said he remains proud of his service in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.
“Unlike many of my peers, I chose to join the military and serve my country,” he said. “I will not allow anyone to take a few misplaced words and impugn my record of service.”
Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) targeted Border Czar Tom Homan, citing dubious reports that he took a $50K bribe.
Bondi testified that the Department of Justice and FBI had conducted a thorough review of the incident and had found “no credible evidence” wrongdoing on Homan’s part.
“You are also on video outside the White House protesting with a group called CASA where Antifa members were. Does that mean you’re a member of Antifa?” Bondi said.
The attorney general was referring to video footage showing Hirono protesting with Antifa and CASA outside the White House earlier this year during a far-left May Day demonstration.
Whitehouse questioned Bondi about disgraced sex offender and business mogul Jeffrey Epstein allegedly showing “people photos of President Trump with half-naked young women.”
He reminded the attorney general that when she came to office, there were hundreds of “suspicious activity reports” that she had promised to investigate.
Bondi replied: “Senator, you’re the one who was taking money from one of Epstein’s closest confidants—I believe, I could be wrong, correct me—Reid Hoffman, who was with Jeffrey Epstein on multiple occasions… Yet you’re grilling me on President Trump and some photograph with Epstein?”
Sen. Durbin pressed Bondi to justify the deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago and to detail her communications with the White House regarding the move.
Without detailing her conversations with the president, Bondi told the senator the troops are there to protect the residents of Chicago.
“Why do you want to keep this secret?” Durbin asked. “The American people don’t know the rationale behind the deployment of National Guard troops in my state. The word is, and I think it’s been confirmed by the White House, they are going to transfer Texas National Guard units to the state of Illinois. What’s the rationale for that?”
Bondi accused the senator of caring more about opposing Trump than protecting the citizens of his state.
“As you shut down the government — you voted to shut down the government, and you’re sitting here — our law enforcement officers aren’t being paid. They’re out there working to protect you. I wish you loved Chicago as much as you hate President Trump. And currently, the National Guard are on the way to Chicago. If you’re not going to protect your citizens, President Trump will,” Bondi responded.
The attorney general also sparred with Schiff after the senator accused her of dodging their questions.
“You have attacked us, including President Trump, for your entire career,” she stated. “Will you apologize to Donald Trump for trying to impeach him after you now knew that Joe Biden tried to cover up Hunter Biden’s involvement with Ukraine?”
Bondi called Schiff “a failed lawyer” because he doesn’t “understand when someone can and cannot answer a question.”
She also accused Schiff of engaging in “personal slander.”
“Will you apologize to Donald Trump for slandering him? Personal slander,” she said.
Democrats and their allies in the media were up in arms following the hearing, accusing Bondi of defiantly stonewalling legitimate questions.
“Recent Trump administration officials, including Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and FBI Director Kash Patel, have relied on a clear playbook for testimony before hostile congressional committees,” the BBC observed. “Go on the attack early and often.”
Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams expressed approval of the “new Republican approach” of not taking Democrats seriously.
“I’m loving this new Republican approach of not taking the Designated Liars seriously in hearings and just using the time to shout personal insults at them until time expires,” Adams posted on X, Wednesday. “The polite and professional approach wasn’t working. This is definitely worth a try. And funny. Twofer.”