Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee in a tense hearing marked by sharp partisan clashes, questions over the Department of Justice’s independence, and heated exchanges on topics ranging from Jeffrey Epstein’s case files to the Trump administration’s deployment of the National Guard. Democrats on the committee pressed Bondi on her handling of the so called Epstein client list, her past remarks about the billionaire’s flight logs, and her refusal to release certain documents. Senator Dick Durbin asked directly why she had suggested on Fox News earlier this year that the client list was on her desk but never disclosed such records. Bondi insisted her comments had been misrepresented. I said I had not reviewed it yet, and our memo clearly states there was no client list, she explained, attempting to redirect the line of questioning back onto Democrats, noting Durbin’s past opposition to releasing flight logs. The hearing also focused on the controversial decision by the Trump administration to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago and other Democrat-led cities. Durbin challenged Pam Bondi on the legal rationale behind sending troops without the consent of state leaders. Bondi repeatedly declined to disclose internal discussions with the White House, prompting Durbin to accuse her of keeping secrets from the American public. Bondi countered that the deployments were necessary to protect citizens, adding pointedly, If you’re not going to protect your citizens, President Trump will.
Pam Bondi Faces Heated Senate Judiciary Committee Testimony Amid DOJ Controversies
Beyond the disputes over Chicago, the session also touched on the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, a development seen as part of President Trump’s aggressive strategy to prosecute political opponents. Critics allege that the Department of Justice under Bondi has become politicized, targeting figures such as Comey and even members of Congress, including Rep. Adam Schiff, who has faced investigations into alleged mortgage fraud.
Republicans on the committee, meanwhile, directed their scrutiny toward the FBI and Special Counsel Jack Smith. Senator Chuck Grassley and other GOP members claimed that Smith’s January 6 investigation crossed the line by secretly obtaining the phone records of nine Republican lawmakers. Pam Bondi seized on this point, calling it a historic betrayal of public trust and accusing the FBI of using its powers to sideline Trump politically. They were playing politics with law enforcement powers, Bondi argued, and this is the kind of conduct that shatters the American people’s faith in our system.
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Despite the combative atmosphere, Bondi maintained her stance of refusing to disclose internal conversations with the White House or Department of Justice staff. She also brushed off accusations of stonewalling, asserting that she was protecting the integrity of confidential deliberations.The testimony underscored the deep partisan divide over the role of the Justice Department under her leadership. For Democrats, Pam Bondi has become a symbol of a Justice Department willing to act as an arm of President Trump’s political agenda. For Republicans, she represents a defender of law and order against both Democratic opposition and a federal bureaucracy they claim is stacked against them. With the controversy surrounding Epstein files, the Comey indictment, and the deployment of troops to U.S. cities, the political and legal spotlight on Pam Bondi is unlikely to dim anytime soon.
