Bondi Rebuts Allegations of Politicizing Justice Department Operations/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Attorney General Pam Bondi faced sharp Democratic criticism Tuesday during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, where lawmakers accused her of politicizing the Justice Department to target President Donald Trump’s opponents. Bondi fired back, blaming the Biden-era DOJ for “weaponizing” law enforcement and pledging to restore public trust. The heated session unfolded amid new concerns about political influence, including the recent indictment of former FBI Director James Comey.
DOJ Oversight Quick Looks
- Main Focus: Political interference in federal law enforcement
- Bondi’s Stance: Accuses prior administration of weaponizing DOJ
- Democrats’ Charge: Bondi shielding Trump, punishing opponents
- Comey Indictment: Sparks claims of political retaliation
- Republican Praise: GOP lauds Bondi’s “tough on crime” approach
- Partisan Divide: Hearing turns combative within minutes
- Broader Context: DOJ leadership shakeups, mass resignations
- Key Quote: “It’s my job to grill you.” — Sen. Dick Durbin
Bondi Rebuts Allegations of Politicizing Justice Department Operations
Deep Look
WASHINGTON — Attorney General Pam Bondi came out swinging Tuesday as she faced fierce questioning from Senate Democrats, defending her leadership and rejecting claims that she has turned the Justice Department into a political weapon to serve President Donald Trump’s agenda.
Appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Bondi clashed early with the panel’s top Democrat, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, and repeatedly deflected accusations that her department had been compromised by political bias.
“They were playing politics with law enforcement powers,” Bondi said, referring to the Biden administration. “We are restoring integrity to a department that lost the public’s trust. We will work to earn that back every single day.”
A Fiery Exchange on Capitol Hill
The hearing — Bondi’s first major congressional testimony since her confirmation eight months ago — quickly descended into a tense, partisan showdown.
Durbin pressed Bondi about reports that the DOJ has opened criminal probes into prominent Trump critics, including former FBI Director James Comey, Sen. Adam Schiff, and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Bondi repeatedly pivoted to crime and immigration enforcement, raising her voice and accusing Democrats of hypocrisy.
“You’re sitting here grilling me while my agents are on their way to Chicago to keep your state safe,” Bondi snapped at Durbin.
“Madam Attorney General,” Durbin shot back, “it’s my job to grill you.”
The exchange set the tone for a hearing defined by political theater — with Republicans praising Bondi’s crackdown on crime, and Democrats accusing her of politicizing justice.
The Comey Case Looms Large
The backdrop to the contentious hearing was the recent indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, a development that has fueled concerns about whether Bondi’s DOJ is targeting Trump’s political adversaries.
The case — brought by prosecutors in Virginia after senior officials reportedly expressed doubts about the strength of evidence — has drawn comparisons to Nixon-era political interference.
“What’s happening now would make even President Nixon recoil,” Durbin said. “In just eight months, you have fundamentally transformed the Justice Department and left a deep stain on American history.”
Republicans dismissed the criticism as partisan posturing. Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley praised Bondi’s “commitment to law and order,” applauding her for “getting tough on criminals” and confronting “Biden-era abuses.”
Bondi’s Counterattack: Blaming Biden’s DOJ
Bondi turned the tables on Democrats by accusing the previous administration of weaponizing the Justice Department.
She cited reports that the FBI had analyzed phone records of Republican lawmakers during investigations into Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election.
“The Biden DOJ will go down as a historic betrayal of public trust,” Bondi said. “We’re cleaning up the mess they left behind.”
Her defense echoed the Trump administration’s narrative that Democrats used the DOJ for political ends and that her actions simply aim to “rebalance” the system.
A Department in Turmoil
Bondi’s brief tenure has been marked by controversy and upheaval, including mass firings and resignations of veteran prosecutors — many of whom had led high-profile investigations into Trump or resisted political pressure.
Democrats pointed to those departures as evidence of political cleansing within the DOJ.
Durbin also accused Bondi of redirecting federal resources toward immigration enforcement at the expense of other priorities, calling it “a misuse of justice that makes America less safe.”
He further cited the administration’s decision to shut down a bribery probe involving White House border czar Tom Homan, calling the DOJ “a weapon against enemies and a shield for allies.”
Republican Support and Bondi’s Pledge
Despite the Democratic barrage, Bondi found strong support from GOP lawmakers on the committee. Grassley and others defended her focus on violent crime, immigration, and public safety, arguing she is reversing years of “politicized law enforcement” under the prior administration.
“The Justice Department under Attorney General Bondi has returned to enforcing the law without fear or favor,” Grassley said.
Bondi, for her part, reiterated her pledge from her January confirmation hearing that she would not politicize the DOJ, despite Democrats’ accusations to the contrary.
“I say the same things privately that I say publicly,” Bondi told lawmakers. “We will uphold the law — and that means no one, not even the president, is above it.”
What’s Next
The Senate hearing comes as federal law enforcement surges into major U.S. cities to address crime and immigration issues — moves that critics say mirror Bondi’s political priorities rather than apolitical law enforcement.
The Comey trial, meanwhile, looms large as a flashpoint for assessing Bondi’s leadership and the Justice Department’s independence.
While Democrats warn that her legacy could damage the DOJ “for decades,” Bondi’s supporters insist she’s restoring accountability and rooting out bias.
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