Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was nominated to be head of President-elect Donald Trump’s Justice Department, lashed out at Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) in a fiery exchange during her confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.
During his questioning, Schiff tried to secure a commitment from Bondi that she would essentially oppose her boss, the president, on certain pardons that Trump has said he is looking to grant, including many Americans convicted of low-level crimes related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
“Will it be your advice to the President: ‘No, Mr. President. I need to go over them on a case-by-case basis. Do not issue blanket pardons.’ Will that be your advice to the President?” Schiff pressed.
Bondi replied, “Senator, I have not looked at any of those files. If confirmed, I will look at the files for the pardons as well as the ongoing investigation.”
The newly elected senator pressed further and questioned Bondi’s ability to handle the workload. “And will you be able to review hundreds of cases on day one?” he asked.
“I will look at every file I am asked to look at,” she said before Schiff then insinuated that she won’t because she wouldn’t have the time, which set Bondi off and led her to bring up the fact that Schiff, as a former member of the House Intelligence Committee, was censured by the chamber shortly after Republicans took control following the 2022 elections.
“You were censured by Congress, Senator, for comments just like this that are so reckless!” Bondi fired back as Schiff talked over her.
The tension escalated further when Schiff turned his attention to an apparent investigation involving former Wyoming Republican and Jan. 6 Committee co-chair Liz Cheney.
A GOP-led subcommittee claimed that Cheney secretly communicated with witness Cassidy Hutchinson through encrypted apps, circumventing Hutchinson’s attorney. The panel has called on the FBI to investigate possible legal violations.
Cheney has denied the allegations, describing them as false and politically motivated to shield Donald Trump. The FBI has yet to confirm whether it will act on the subcommittee’s recommendations.
Schiff asked, “I’m asking you, sitting here today, whether you are aware of a factual predicate to investigate Liz Cheney.” Before pivoting to criticize California’s crime rate, Bondi replied, “Senator, no one has asked me to investigate Liz Cheney. That is a hypothetical. The crime rate in California right now is through the roof. Your robberies are 87% higher than the national average. That’s what I want to be focused on, Senator, if I’m confirmed as Attorney General.
If her previous remarks are any indication, Bondi might be the driving force behind the long-awaited public release of Jeffrey Epstein’s client list. In a recent interview with Fox News, she shared her opinions about the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein client list, suggesting it should be made public.
Also, in September, Trump said that he would have “no problem” releasing more official files related to Epstein, including the late sex offender’s “client list.”
Epstein had clients in such high positions that their names could potentially topple the political hierarchy overnight. In 2019, while awaiting prosecution for sex trafficking, Epstein died under controversial circumstances in his prison cell.
