Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi got into a heated exchange during her confirmation hearing Wednesday with Sen. Adam Schiff of California, which ended with her reminding him that he had been censured by the House of Representatives.
Schiff first questioned Bondi as she testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee whether she would have the independence to say “No” to soon-to-be President Donald Trump, when necessary.
“Let me start with one very specific non-hypothetical. The president has said Jack Smith should go to jail. Will you investigate Jack Smith?” he asked.
President Joe Biden’s Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith as a special counsel in November 2022 to investigate Trump, shortly after the former president announced he would be seeking re-election.
Smith ended up filing two cases against Trump in 2023, one alleging he mishandled classified documents and another claiming he sought to interfere in the 2020 election. Smith dropped both cases after Trump was re-elected and he resigned as special counsel on Friday.
Bondi responded to Schiff, “Senator, I haven’t seen the file. I haven’t seen the investigation. I haven’t looked at anything. It would be irresponsible of me to make a commitment regarding anything without looking … at a file.”
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Schiff followed up asking, based on the knowledge she presently has, if she believed there was a factual predicate to investigate Smith’s conduct as special counsel.
“Senator, what I’m hearing on the news is horrible. Do I know if he committed a crime? That I have not looked at,” Bondi responded.
Will Pam Bondi be confirmed by the Senate?
Yes: 100% (1501 Votes)
No: 0% (3 Votes)
Schiff later questioned how the nominee would advise Trump regarding his plans to issue pardons on his first day in office to most of those who have been prosecuted for engaging in the Jan. 6, 2021, protest at the U.S. Capitol.
“I’m going to look at everything. We’ll look at individual cases,” Trump told NBC News host Kristen Welker last month. “But I’m going to be acting very quickly.”
Welker wondered how quickly.
“First day, I’m looking first day. These people have been there — how long is it? Three, four years,” Trump answered. “They’ve been in there for years. And they’re in a filthy, disgusting place that shouldn’t even be allowed to be open.”
BREAKING – Trump: J6 Pardons Are Coming!
“I’m gonna look at everything. We’re gonna look at individual cases, yeah. But, I’m gonna be acting very quickly… First day. Yeah, I’m looking first day. These people have been, how long is it? Three to four years?!”
Do you think… pic.twitter.com/8mddhTX1wf
— Conservative Brief (@ConservBrief) December 8, 2024
The president-elect added, “There may be some exceptions to it. I have to look, if somebody was radical, crazy.”
Reuters reported last week that more than 1,580 have been prosecuted for Jan. 6 offenses, and of those about 170 were charged with using a weapon or injuring a police officer. No guns were fired by protesters, but a few had them on the Capitol grounds or in the vicinity, according to CBS News.
Bondi told Schiff on Wednesday, “I will look at every case, on a case-by-case basis, and I abhor violence to police officers.”
“Will you be able to review hundreds of cases on day 1?” Schiff queried.
“I will look at every file that I am asked to look at,” Bondi began to answer, but Schiff cut her off, “Of course you won’t.”
Bondi noted she will have staff to assist her in the effort, presumably flagging cases that need her closer review..
“You said, ‘Of course you won’t.’ Listen, I’m not going to mislead this body, nor you. You were censured by Congress for comments just like this, that are so reckless,” she asserted.
Pam Bondi just stood up to Adam Schiff when he tried to ask her misleading questions about pardoning J6 protestors.
Her response left him stunned:
“You were censured by Congress Senator for comments just like this.” pic.twitter.com/ZucbD0wHTs
— Media Lies (@MediasLies) January 15, 2025
The GOP-controlled House voted to censure Schiff in July 2023 for statements he made during Trump’s first term, alleging he had evidence that the 45th president’s campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 race. Schiff was serving as the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee at the time, meaning he would have access to more information than available to the general public.
The resolution identified multiple other reasons for the congressman’s censure, given his position of trust on the committee.
Schiff closed his questioning of Bondi calling on her to commit that none of the evidence from the House Jan. 6 investigation will be destroyed while she is attorney general.
In December 2022, the Jan. 6 committee — which was commissioned by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi and on which Schiff served — turned over its work to the DOJ prior to the Republicans taking back control of the House the following month.
“Senator, I will follow the law,” Bondi said regarding the materials.
“Why do you have difficulty answering that question?” Schiff shot back.
“I can’t believe you’re asking such a question,” Bondi replied.
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