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President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be attorney general in his new administration faces the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday morning in a confirmation hearing.
Trump tapped the former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi to lead the Department of Justice (DOJ) in late November after former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., withdrew from consideration.
Wednesday’s hearing begins at 9:30 a.m., and Bondi will be questioned by Republican and Democratic members of the committee.
President-elect Donald Trump and former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (Getty Images)
“I hope Democrats will give (her) the same courteous consideration that Republicans gave Garland,” Speaker Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, told Fox News Digital before the hearing.
“(A)nd I hope people stay within their timeline, because we have to move on,” he added.
Committee members include Grassley and Republican senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, John Cornyn of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah, Ted Cruz of Texas, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Eric Schmitt of Missouri, Katie Britt of Alabama and Mike Crapo of Idaho.
Also on the committee are ranking member Dick Durbin, D-Ill., as well as Democratic Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Chris Coons of Delaware, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Alex Padilla of California, Peter Welch of Vermont and Adam Schiff of California.
Durbin met with Bondi last week, but came away from their discussion with remaining concerns.
“At today’s meeting, I raised concerns with Ms. Bondi regarding her record, one in which she served as President-elect Trump’s personal attorney, was a leader in the effort to overturn the 2020 election and has called for the prosecution of her political opponents.In addition, Ms. Bondi has a long history of opposing civil rights, including reproductive rights, voting rights and civil rights. LGBTQ+ rights,” he said in a statement.
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Durbin raised lingering concerns about Bondi. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein/File)
“The Attorney General’s role is to oversee an independent Department of Justice that upholds the rule of law and is free from undue political influence. Given Ms. Bondi’s responses to my questions, I remain concerned about her ability to to serve as attorney general who will put his oath to the Constitution ahead of his loyalty to Donald Trump,” he added.
The ranking member is likely to question Bondi during the hearing on these same issues.
On Monday, Durbin laid out several concerns he has with Trump’s election.
“Ms. Bondi’s obvious concern is whether she will follow the bipartisan tradition of the post-Watergate era and oversee an independent Justice Department that upholds the rule of law. Ms. Bondi is one of President-elect Trump’s four personal lawyers. who has already tapped for Justice Department positions She was a leader in the effort to overturn the 2020 election calls for prosecution of her political opponents, and she has a troubling record of unwavering loyalty to the president-elect,” he said in remarks.
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Bondi is a former Florida attorney general. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images/File)
The attorney general hopeful met with Grassley in early December, after which he said in a statement: “Pam Bondi is a well-qualified candidate with an impressive legal career, including eight years as attorney general of the state of Florida and nearly two decades as prosecutor, Bondi is ready to refocus the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) focus where it should be: on enforcing the law and protecting the safety of Americans. “.
The Judiciary Chair promised that the committee “will move quickly to consider his nomination when the 119th Congress convenes in January.”
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Grassley took back the judiciary gavel in 2025. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images/File)
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Trump praised Bondi in his November announcement, writing in part, “For too long, the partisan Justice Department has been weaponized against me and other Republicans; not anymore.”
“Pam will refocus the DOJ on its purpose of fighting crime and making America safe again,” he continued. “I’ve known Pam for many years – she’s smart and tough, and an AMERICA FIRST fighter, who will do a fantastic job as Attorney General!”
Since being picked by Trump, Bondi has received several influential endorsements. recently, 60 former Democrats and Republicans attorneys general urged senators to confirm her in a letter. In addition, dozens of former Justice Department officials Last week, he urged the Judiciary Committee to confirm Trump’s nomination.
