'Orwellian tactics': Senate chair Grassley smears Jack Smith to open Bondi hearing

Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IO) used his opening statements during Pam Bondi's attorney general confirmation hearing, to air his grievances against the Biden Justice Department in general, and Special Counsel Jack Smith in particular.

Grassley introduced Bondi and spoke of her accomplishments as Florida's attorney general before launching into his attack.

"I know, as other people on this committee and in and out of Congress know, what government weaponization is. And then we get to Special Counsel Jack Smith and his 'lawfare' operation. It involved an unprecedented FBI raid on Trump's house, including agents that even searched the former first lady's clothing drawers. Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden certainly did not receive the same treatment by government regarding their records."

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"Indeed, as my oversight exposed, the FBI amazingly agreed to destroy laptop records associated with Clinton's staff. This Orwellian conduct should have no quarter. On top of it all, the FBI Special Agent Thibault, the anti-Trump agent that violated the Hatch Act for political activities on the job, started one of Jack Smith's cases.

Grassley then blamed the Biden DOJ for trying to influence the 2024 presidential election.

"But Jack Smith wasn't the only department official who tried to influence this past election. The Washington Post reported just last August about a previously undisclosed Mueller investigation into Trump that was closed for lack of evidence and it being, quote, unquote, a 'fishing expedition.' That news reporting was based on sealed court records, government records, and potentially classified information roughly 90 days before the last presidential election. The Justice Department leaked that information to the press to impact the election against President Trump. And they did it while stiff-arming congressional requests for information that would prove embarrassing to the Biden-Harris administration. So, let us not forget some of the more and other flagrant abuses of power that we've seen from the DOJ."

Bondi became President-elect Donald Trump's choice for AG after former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) withdrew due to backlash over ethical concerns that included drug use and paying for sex as a U.S. congressman.

Watch the clip below via CNN or click the link.