By
Elena Moore
,
Ryan Lucas
Attorney General Pam Bondi takes her seat before testifying before the House Judiciary Committee on Feb. 11. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption
Attorney General Pam Bondi sparred with Democrats about her tenure at the Department of Justice, in a combative, hours-long hearing before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
While Republicans on the panel largely defended Bondi and avoided tough lines of questioning, Democrats zeroed in on the agency's targeting of President Trump's political foes and its oversight surrounding files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a blistering opening statement, ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., criticized the DOJ's handling of the Epstein files and the agency's treatment of survivors, highlighting that several were present in the hearing room. Raskin and Democrats on the panel have called for increased transparency, highlighting examples where they say redacted information in the documents benefits powerful individuals who may be implicated in Epstein's crimes, instead of omitting information that protects survivors.
National DOJ admits redaction errors in Epstein docs while names in files face scrutiny "You're not showing a lot of interest in the victims, Madam Attorney General, whether it's Epstein's human trafficking ring or the homicidal governmental violence against citizens in Minneapolis," Raskin said, in reference to the two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by immigration officers in the city last month. "You're siding with the perpetrators, and you're ignoring the victims," he added. "That will be your legacy unless you act quickly to change course."
Throughout the hearing, Bondi, a former Florida attorney general, defended the DOJ's handling of the files, touting the release of millions of documents. In her opening statement, she vowed to continue fighting for survivors, saying she was "deeply sorry for what any victim, any victim, has been through, especially as a result of that monster."
But in response to Democrats' questions about the DOJ's handling of the Epstein investigation, Bondi repeatedly pushed back — sometimes with personal attacks directed at lawmakers.
When asked by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., to apologize to survivors for the agency's "absolutely unacceptable release of the Epstein files and their information," Bondi retorted: "I'm not going to get in the gutter for her theatrics."
Politics Lawmakers threaten Attorney General Bondi with contempt over incomplete Epstein files Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., was one of the few Republicans to press Bondi on Epstein.
Massie has largely broken with his party for months in criticizing the administration on the issue. During the hearing, he demanded accountability from the DOJ for sharing survivor information and accused officials of "over-redacting" potentially incriminating information.
Bondi responded by calling Massie a "failed politician" with "Trump derangement syndrome," and asked whether the congressman demanded the same level of transparency from former Attorney General Merrick Garland during the Biden administration. Massie went on to reject that argument.
"This cover-up spans decades, and you are responsible for this portion of it," he said.
The attorney general's appearance before the committee comes one year into her tenure atop the Justice Department, a tumultuous period marked by a striking departure from the traditions and norms that have guided the department for decades.
Since taking the helm, Bondi has overseen the firing of career prosecutors and FBI officials who worked on Capitol riot cases or Trump investigations, investigated and prosecuted prominent opponents of the president, and dropped prosecutions of his allies.
Law Judge tosses Comey, James cases after finding prosecutor unlawfully appointed Across the aisle, most GOP lawmakers used their time during the hearing to praise the attorney general's work, emphasizing DOJ efforts to combat violent crime and illegal immigration — issues Bondi has highlighted as major accomplishments during her first year.
"What a difference a year makes," the committee's chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said in his opening remarks. "The DOJ has returned to its core missions — upholding the rule of law, going after the bad guys and keeping Americans safe."
Bondi says she's made "tremendous progress" toward ending what she says was the department's weaponization in recent years against Trump and conservatives. Biden-era DOJ officials deny they politicized the department, and they point to the prosecutions of prominent Democratic lawmakers and even President Joe Biden's son Hunter as evidence.
For decades, the Justice Department has enjoyed a degree of independence from the White House, particularly in investigations and prosecutions, to insulate them from partisan politics.
Critics say that under Bondi, independence has disappeared and the DOJ has helped enact Trump's promised campaign of retribution against his perceived enemies, including bringing charges against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Politics Pentagon investigates Sen. Mark Kelly for telling troops to refuse 'illegal orders' Both cases have since been tossed by a federal judge. The Justice Department is appealing that decision.
Democrats tried to turn Bondi's claims of weaponization around, accusing the DOJ of carrying out Trump's political agenda.
"You've turned the people's Department of Justice into Trump's instrument of revenge," Raskin said. "Trump orders up prosecutions like pizza, and you deliver every time."
Other perceived opponents of the president or individuals standing in the way of his agenda have also found themselves under DOJ investigation, including Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff and former Obama-era intelligence officials James Clapper and John Brennan.
Most recently, a handful of Democratic lawmakers faced scrutiny from the administration for appearing in a video last fall where they directed members of the military to refuse illegal orders — a decision that Trump called "treasonous."
The administration has since suffered another legal setback in that fight. A grand jury in Washington, D.C., this week rejected an attempt by federal prosecutors to indict the lawmakers on federal charges.
Sponsor Message
Become an NPR sponsor