Bondi spars with Schiff at testy confirmation hearing: ‘You were censured’

Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump’s nominee for the Department of Justice, faced a tough line of questioning from Sen. Adam Schiff on Wednesday. The California senator grilled Bondi about whether she would prosecute Trump’s political opponents, specifically former Special Counsel Jack Smith and former Rep. Liz Cheney.

Schiff pressed Bondi on whether she had a factual basis to investigate Cheney, to which she responded that no one had asked her to investigate Cheney and that it was a hypothetical scenario. Bondi then redirected the conversation, highlighting the high crime rate in California and emphasizing the need to focus on addressing that issue.

The exchange between Schiff and Bondi escalated, with Schiff suggesting that Bondi lacked the independence to say “no” to the president. He also questioned whether she would tell Trump he lost the 2020 election. Bondi accused Schiff of playing politics and leaking sensitive information, pushing back against his insinuations.

The contentious back-and-forth continued, with Schiff raising concerns about blanket pardons and Bondi defending her ability to review cases on day one. Bondi criticized Schiff for his comments, highlighting his past censure by Congress for promoting unfounded claims about Trump’s campaign colluding with Russia.

The hearing was marked by several sharp exchanges between Bondi and Democratic lawmakers, including a line of questioning from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse about the weaponization of the DOJ. Bondi emphasized the need to avoid starting with a name and looking for a crime, citing the federal government’s investigations into Trump as an example of this problematic approach.

Overall, Bondi’s confirmation hearing was characterized by intense scrutiny and challenging questions from Democratic senators. Despite the contentious exchanges, Bondi remained steadfast in her commitment to upholding the law and ensuring the integrity of the Department of Justice.