Pam Bondi, who is President-elect Donald Trump's new nominee for attorney general, will have an easier time than former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) in the confirmation process. But Democrats believe she's still in for a tough fight based on several key issues.
The New Republic's Greg Sargent wrote that Bondi's upcoming confirmation hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee early next year will be full of opportunities for Democrats aiming to do maximum damage. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) predicts Trump's pick to lead the Department of Justice will likely be cornered on some of the president-elect's more controversial promises for the Department of Justice and forced into a tough position. And he said Bondi should be forced to acknowledge that she'll be carrying out a deeply unpopular retribution campaign on behalf of Trump, pointing out she would be his "weaponizer-in-chief of the legal system."
Michael Sozan, who is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, reminded Sargent's readers that Trump's prior attorneys general were driven out of their positions by choosing to prioritize the law over their boss. He predicted that Bondi's tenure could be similarly short-lived if Trump views her as insufficiently loyal.
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“Trump turned against all his prior attorneys general when they retained a shred of respect for the rule of law,” Sozan said. “He’s expecting Bondi to be an arsonist. It won’t end well for her. It will be even worse for the American people.”
First, Democrats may seek to drive a wedge between Bondi and Trump by pointing out the president-elect's stated plans to pardon scores of January 6 insurrectionists. These pardons could include rioters who assaulted police officers and carried weapons into the U.S. Capitol building. One unnamed House Democrat said Bondi should be directly asked her thoughts on blanket pardons that could include some of the more violent participants in the Capitol siege.
“What happens if Trump pardons the Proud Boys leaders who were convicted for seditious conspiracy and instigating the violence?” said January 6 report author Tom Joscelyn when commenting on potential questions for Bondi. “What about the dozens of defendants convicted of assaulting cops?”
Additionally, Sargent observed that Bondi could be asked about Trump's stated plans to deploy the DOJ against his political enemies. She may also face questioning about his proposal to deploy the U.S. military on U.S. soil to round up and detain undocumented immigrants (which one Republican senator has already publicly condemned). Senate Democrats could also press her on Trump potentially court-martialing military officials involved in the 2021 withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. And Bondi could be asked her opinion on Trump's calls to revoke the broadcast licenses of media outlets that criticize him.
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"Ask whether she thinks the First Amendment and due process are any impediment to what Trump has called for," Raskin said.
As the former Florida attorney general, Bondi has experience as the top law enforcement official of a populous state, unlike Matt Gaetz, whose scant professional legal experience included a stint at a small Florida law firm. After New York announced it was investigating Trump University for defrauding students, Bondi was set to launch her own investigation before the Trump Foundation made a $25,000 donation to a super PAC backing her candidacy (which is illegal for any non-profit organization).
Gaetz's nomination to lead the DOJ lasted just eight days before he withdrew his name from consideration. His withdrawal notably came after CNN asked him to comment on a new allegation that he reportedly had sex with a 17 year-old high school student at a party while the homeowner watched.
Click here to read Sargent's full article in the New Republic (subscription required).
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