Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for United States Attorney General, sought to reassure Democratic senators on Wednesday that the Justice Department will not prosecute anyone for political purposes, while refusing to rule out the possibility of investigating opponents of the new president who takes office on January 20.
The confirmation hearing, which was at times fraught with arguments, focused on concerns among Democrats that Mr. Trump would seek to use the Justice Department’s legal power to punish opponents, including prosecutors who investigated him. Democrats questioned whether it could preserve the department’s independence from the White House and challenge the president if asked to do something unethical.
On the other hand, Republicans welcomed her appointment as a course correction for the Justice Department, which they believe has pursued a liberal agenda and conducted unfair investigations into Mr. Trump that resulted in the filing of two indictments, A2 reports.
"What would you do if career prosecutors at the Justice Department presented you with a case to open a criminal investigation, based on facts and law, but the White House ordered you to drop the case?" asked Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat representing the state of Delaware.
"Senator, if I thought something like this would happen, I wouldn't be sitting here today. This is not going to happen ," Ms. Bondi said.
The numerous questions highlighted what Democrats fear about Ms. Bondi's nomination for the position of Attorney General, especially considering the pressure that President Trump exerted on the judiciary during his first term to advance his personal interests, including demanding that the then-FBI director drop investigations into an ally of his and firing the Attorney General after the latter recused himself from the investigation into Mr. Trump's 2016 campaign.
"I want to know that you will say no to the president if he asks you to do something that is wrong, illegal or unconstitutional ," said Senator Dick Durbin, the committee's top Democrat, who noted that Ms. Bondi had represented President Trump during one of his two Senate impeachment trials.
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi repeatedly stressed that she would not politicize the Justice Department or open politically motivated investigations against anyone. She said she would respect the Constitution and that the public, not the president, would be her client.
Louisiana Republican Senator John Kennedy asked Ms. Bondi if she would investigate someone based on their name and then try to find the crime. “Of course not. I hope no attorney general from now on will ever do that,” Ms. Bondi replied. But those assurances did not allay Democrats’ concerns about her loyalty to Mr. Trump.
Ms. Bondi supported Republican Trump's claims that the investigations against him amounted to political persecution, saying, "The Justice Department has been politicized for years and that this must stop."
"They targeted Donald Trump. In fact, this started in 2016 against his campaign. They have launched countless investigations against him. If I become attorney general, I will not politicize this office ," Ms. Bondi said.
Attorney General Merrick Garland has rejected claims that the investigations into Mr. Trump were politically motivated.
Republicans have expressed strong support for Ms. Bondi and her agenda, which she said includes protecting gun rights, free speech, the border and fighting violent crime and terrorism. She is likely to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate.
"If confirmed, I will work to restore trust and integrity to the Department of Justice and each of its constituent components. Under my leadership, partisanship and politicization will disappear. America will have a level playing field for all ," Ms. Bondi said.
While Democrats expressed concern that Mr. Trump would politicize the Justice Department, Republican senators insisted that this had happened over the past four years and that Ms. Bondi's selection represented an opportunity for change.
The committee's chairman, Republican Chuck Grassley, cited years of complaints against the Justice Department, including the investigations into Mr. Trump for alleged ties to Russia and, most recently, Attorney General Garland's memo to target threats from parents during school meetings.
"Ms. Bondi, if confirmed, the actions you take to change the course of the department must be about accountability, so that what I cited earlier never happens again," said Senator Chuck Grassley./ Voice of America (A2 Televizion)
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