Pam Bondi walked a tightrope during her confirmation hearing Wednesday to be the next attorney general, describing her plans to “restore confidence and integrity” to the Justice Department while deflecting questions that could have pitted her against President-elect Donald Trump’s past statements.
The former Florida attorney general avoided the kind of misstep that could imperil her strong backing from Senate Republicans, as the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing touched on a range of topics, from a controversial surveillance authority to criminal justice legislation.
“The partisanship, the weaponization, will be gone. America will have one tier of justice for all,” Bondi said, referencing long-standing grievances from Republican lawmakers and conservatives. “In all this work, I’ll collaborate closely with this committee.”
And when pressed by Democrats on certain topics, such as the outcome of the 2020 presidential election and pardons for those who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, she avoided answers that could have put her at odds with Trump’s past positions.
For example, when given the opportunity from Sen. Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the committee’s top Democrat, Bondi declined to say Trump lost the 2020 election to President Joe Biden. Instead, Bondi said that Biden is the president.
Republicans on the panel largely defended Bondi, pointing to her lengthy career as a prosecutor and her tenure as Florida attorney general. Bondi, during the hourslong hearing on Capitol Hill, pledged to not politicize the office and said no one will be prosecuted or investigated because they are a political opponent.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, asked, “Will you commit every day as attorney general to follow the law, to follow the Constitution, to uphold the rule of law, without favor and without regard to the partisan position of any criminal defendant?”
“Yes, senator,” Bondi said.
“That’s what we should all expect from an attorney general,” Cruz responded.
And under questioning from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Bondi said everyone would be held to an “equal, fair system of justice” if she is the next attorney general and said Trump has been targeted.
“I will not target people simply because of their political affiliation. Justice will be administered evenhandedly throughout this country,” Bondi said.
Trump’s rhetoric came up throughout the confirmation hearing on Wednesday.
Trump, in an interview with Time magazine, said it will be Bondi’s decision as to whether there will be investigations of certain people, such as Biden, California Democratic Sen. Adam B. Schiff, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former special counsel John L. “Jack” Smith. “That’s up to her. That’ll be up to her,” Trump said.
At the hearing, Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., sought to clarify whether Bondi was giving an assurance that there would be no effort on the part of the Justice Department to pursue political adversaries.
“Every case will be done on a case-by-case basis,” Bondi responded. “No one should be prosecuted for political purposes. Absolutely not.”
Under questioning from Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, Bondi sidestepped when asked whether Smith, who brought criminal charges against Trump, would be prosecuted if she’s confirmed as attorney general. “How about Liz Cheney? How about Merrick Garland?” Hirono asked.
“I am not going to answer hypotheticals. No one has been prejudged — nor will anyone be prejudged,” Bondi said.
Schiff, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, asked Bondi whether she would investigate Smith.
“Senator, I haven’t seen the file. I haven’t seen the investigation. I haven’t looked at anything. It would be irresponsible of me to make a commitment regarding anything without … looking at a file,” Bondi said.
“You would need a factual predicate to open an investigation of Jack Smith?” Schiff said.
“Not a summary by you sitting here. Yes, sir,” she responded.
“And not a summary by the president either, right?” Schiff quipped.
“Absolutely,” Bondi said. “I will look at the facts and evidence in any case.”
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