Attorney General Pam Bondi is facing a congressional hearing amid growing questions about political influence over the Department of Justice.
Bondi defends herself against criticism that she’s weaponized the Justice Department
WASHINGTON — Attorney General Pam Bondi defended herself against Democratic criticism that she had weaponized the Justice Department at a Tuesday congressional hearing where she was set to face tough questions over the political pressure on the law enforcement agency to pursue President Donald Trump’s perceived foes.
During her opening remarks, Bondi echoed conservative claims that President Joe Biden’s Justice Department, which brought two criminal cases against Trump, was the one that weaponized the law enforcement agency even though some of its most high-profile probes concerned the Democratic president and his son. Bondi pointed to revelations from a day earlier that the FBI had analyzed phone records of several Republican lawmakers as part of an investigation into Trump’s efforts to undo the results of his election loss to Biden in 2020.
«They were playing politics with law enforcement powers and will go down as a historic betrayal of public trust», Bondi said. «This is the kind of conduct that shatters the American people’s faith in our law enforcement system. We will work to earn that back every single day.»
The testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee comes just ahead of former FBI Director James Comey’s first court appearance following an indictment that has deepened concerns that the department is being used to seek vengeance against the Republican president’s political opponents. It also comes as federal law enforcement officials surge into several cities across the U.S. to combat crime and enforce immigration laws.
The hearing is likely to split along deeply partisan lines, with Republicans expected to laud the Justice Department’s focus on confronting violent crime and reversing Biden-era priorities.
