Washington, October 8(HS): US Attorney General Pam Bondi faced a tense, highly charged session before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, defending her actions after the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey while clashing with lawmakers across party lines. It was her first congressional oversight appearance since taking office and came amid escalating criticism that her Justice Department has been politicised.
Bondi Strikes BackBondi opened with a combative tone, taking direct aim at Democratic senators. When pressed on National Guard deployments, she jabbed that Illinois Senator Dick Durbin and California’s Alex Padilla “hate Donald Trump more than they love their states.”
She also invoked billionaire donors’ ties to Jeffrey Epstein when questioned about her department’s priorities, drawing sharp rebukes from committee members.
Few Answers, Much Deflection
Pressed on the Comey indictment, internal firings and her connections with the White House, Bondi repeatedly refused to answer, citing “ongoing investigations” or “personnel matters.”
When Senator Adam Schiff lamented her stonewalling, Bondi retorted, “I think you owe the president an apology for your entire career.”Focus on CrimeBondi shifted attention to her department’s anti-crime agenda, claiming the Trump administration had made “real progress” in reducing violence and drug trafficking.
She cited successes in Washington DC, Chicago and along the southern border. “We are returning to our core mission of fighting real crime,” she said.Democrats Press on Epstein ProbeDemocrats devoted much of their questioning to the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Dick Durbin asked whether FBI evidence or financial records implicated Trump or others. Bondi refused to answer, reiterating that prosecutors found no evidence of a cover-up. Republican Senator John Kennedy joined calls for more transparency, suggesting that high-profile figures like Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick should testify about Epstein’s history.
Republicans Relitigate the Past
Several Republican senators turned their focus to grievances from previous Democratic administrations. Senator Chuck Grassley raised unproven claims about the Biden family’s business dealings, while Senator Ted Cruz questioned the Justice Department’s response to protests outside conservative justices’ homes.
Bondi backed their criticisms, accusing previous Democratic leadership of “weaponising justice.”Despite the five-hour hearing’s combative tone, both sides agreed on one point — that public trust in the justice system is eroding.
As Senator Alex Padilla put it, “When the public trust breaks down, justice itself is at risk.” Each party, however, blamed the other for causing that breakdown, underscoring the deep political divisions that now define Washington oversight hearings.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
