Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) said he was "concerned" after meeting with Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be attorney general.
Bondi, a staunch Trump loyalist, is making the rounds in Congress, hoping to garner support before her two-day confirmation hearing, scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 15, and Thursday, Jan. 16.
Durbin posted on X, "I just met with Pam Bondi, Donald Trump’s attorney general pick. Given her responses to my questions, I remain concerned about her ability to serve as an Attorney General who will put her oath to the Constitution ahead of her fealty to Donald Trump."
Bondi served as Florida's attorney general from 2011 to 2019 and as Trump’s personal lawyer during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Trump nominated her for attorney general after his first choice, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), dropped out of consideration in November over ethics concerns.
Durbin also released a longer statement through the Senate Judiciary Committee, calling Bondi a "leader in the effort to overturn the 2020 election," and wrote that she has "echoed the President-elect’s calls for prosecuting his political opponents. In addition, Ms. Bondi has a long track record of opposing fundamental civil rights, including reproductive rights, voting rights, and LGBTQ+ rights."
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Durbin said he's hoping to learn more about Bondi and her "vision for the Department of Justice" when she comes before the Judiciary Committee next week.
“The American people deserve an Attorney General who will protect their fundamental rights, demonstrate independence and integrity, and remain faithful to the Constitution, the country, and the rule of law above all," Durbin wrote.
When nominating Bondi, Trump posted to social media, "For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans - Not anymore. Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.”
A bipartisan group of 110 senior Justice Department officials who served under both Democratic and Republican administrations, wrote a letter of recommendation to the Senate Judiciary Committee urging Bondi's confirmation," Fox News Digital reported. They cited her "commitment to the rule of law and her track record as Florida’s former attorney general that they said makes her uniquely qualified for the role."