Attorney General Pam Bondi to Testify Before Senate over Political Pressure on DOJ/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Attorney General Pam Bondi will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday amid allegations of political interference in the Justice Department. The hearing follows the controversial indictment of former FBI Director James Comey and mounting concerns that the department is targeting critics of President Donald Trump. Lawmakers are expected to clash sharply over Bondi’s leadership and the department’s independence.
Justice Department Oversight Quick Looks
- Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.
- Hearing follows James Comey’s indictment, raising fears of political retribution.
- DOJ accused of pursuing Trump’s political rivals, including Schiff and Letitia James.
- Republicans expected to praise Bondi’s crime and immigration enforcement efforts.
- Democrats plan to question Bondi’s ability to resist White House pressure.
- DOJ facing turmoil after resignations and firings of veteran prosecutors.
- Bondi to highlight federal crime surges in D.C. and Memphis.
- Hearing may also address Epstein investigation file controversy.
- Partisan split looms over whether DOJ is being “weaponized.”
- Bondi maintains Trump’s strong public support amid ongoing scrutiny.
Deep Look
Attorney General Pam Bondi Faces Senate Scrutiny Over Alleged Political Pressure on the Justice Department
WASHINGTON — Attorney General Pam Bondi will face her most intense congressional questioning yet when she appears Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, as senators probe allegations that the Justice Department under her leadership has bowed to political pressure from President Donald Trump.
The high-profile hearing comes as the department stands accused of targeting the president’s adversaries, including former FBI Director James Comey, and launching politically charged investigations into several prominent Democrats.
It marks Bondi’s first appearance before the panel since her January confirmation, when she promised to keep politics out of the DOJ. That pledge will now face a serious test.
A Partisan Battle Over DOJ Independence
Tuesday’s hearing is expected to divide sharply along party lines.
Republicans are poised to defend Bondi, praising her for refocusing the Justice Department on violent crime reduction, border security, and drug enforcement after what they describe as the “politicized” Biden-era DOJ.
Democrats, meanwhile, are preparing to grill the attorney general over a series of prosecutions that critics say resemble political vendettas.
“This is about whether the Justice Department can still act independently — or whether it’s become an extension of the White House,” one Democratic committee aide said.
At the heart of the inquiry is the recent indictment of James Comey, a longtime Trump critic, which has ignited concerns that the DOJ is being weaponized to settle political scores.
Comey Indictment Raises Alarm Bells
The Comey case, brought by the U.S. attorney’s office in Virginia, is expected to dominate Tuesday’s proceedings.
Career prosecutors reportedly questioned the strength of the evidence, and the Justice Department only secured the charges after installing a new politically aligned prosecutor when the office’s prior chief resigned under pressure.
Comey, who led the FBI until Trump fired him in 2017, has denied wrongdoing and called the indictment “an act of political retribution.”
Widening Investigations Into Trump Critics
Bondi’s Justice Department has also opened investigations into several Democratic figures who have been outspoken critics of the president, including:
- Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a member of the Judiciary Committee;
- New York Attorney General Letitia James, who led civil fraud cases against Trump; and
- Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, now running for mayor.
All three have denied any wrongdoing and denounced the probes as “politically motivated fishing expeditions.”
Bondi and her allies argue that such claims are hypocritical, pointing to the two federal criminal cases brought against Trump by the Biden administration as proof that “politicization didn’t start here.”
“It was the previous administration that turned the Justice Department into a political weapon,” one senior DOJ official said. “We’re simply restoring balance.”
A Department in Turmoil
Bondi’s eight-month tenure has been marked by mass resignations and the firing of senior career prosecutors, including some who had investigated Trump or served in top roles under the previous administration.
Insiders say morale has plunged, with many career officials fearing retaliation for refusing political directives.
Still, Bondi retains the unwavering support of the president, who has publicly praised her as “strong, fair, and tough on crime.”
Focus on Crime and Immigration
Bondi is expected to highlight what she calls a “law-and-order resurgence” under her leadership, pointing to expanded federal deployments in Washington, D.C., and Memphis to tackle violent crime and illegal immigration.
Republicans on the committee are likely to amplify that message, emphasizing Bondi’s coordination with federal agencies to disrupt drug cartels and target human smuggling networks at the southern border.
“Our mission is to protect Americans — full stop,” Bondi said in a recent DOJ statement. “Politics will never come before public safety.”
Epstein Files and Transparency Questions
Senators are also expected to question Bondi about her department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case files, after the DOJ in July decided not to release further documents from the long-running sex trafficking investigation.
That decision sparked outrage among conservative commentators and conspiracy theorists, many of whom claimed the department was covering up information about prominent political figures.
Bondi defended the decision, saying that further releases could endanger victims’ privacy and violate court orders.
Despite criticism, Bondi continues to enjoy Trump’s full backing, which could make for a heated and politically charged hearing.
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