Pam Bondi Faces Tough Questions on Independence

Opening Remarks

In a high-profile Senate confirmation hearing, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi faced intense scrutiny over her potential role as Attorney General of the United States. Senators pressed Bondi on key issues ranging from ethical independence to national security concerns, testing her ability to stand firm against political pressures.

Accountability on Election and January 6th

You have to be able to say that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. Pam Bondi, you dodged that question when you were asked directly by Senator Durbin. You have to be able to say that January 6 insurrectionists who committed violence shouldn’t be pardoned. You have to be able to say that a nominee for the FBI director who says he has an enemy list and that’s just the beginning of what he has said in terms of deeply politicizing and weaponizing the FBI against political opponents shouldn’t be the FBI director.

Question on Ethical Independence
We have some history here with your predecessors—Barr, Sessions, and others—who perhaps sincerely, when they sat where you are now, said that they would say no. But they were working with a president who expected them to be his Roy Cohn, his personal attorney. Pam Bondi, do you really think that you can avoid the disgrace they encountered or the repercussions from the White House if you say no to the president? My question to you is, can you say no to the President of the United States when he asks you to do something unethical or illegal?

Response on Truthfulness

Senator, first, I need to clarify something that you said—that I have to sit up here and say these things. No, I don’t. I sit up here and speak the truth. I’m not going to sit up here and say anything that I need to say to get confirmed by this body. I don’t have to say anything. I will answer the questions to the best of my ability.

Suitability of FBI Nominee
Let me ask you, Pam Bondi, an individual who says that he is going to “come after” people he alleges “helped Joe Biden rig the presidential elections,” that he has a list of people who are part of this deep state who should be prosecuted, that he’s going to close down the FBI building on his first day in office—is that a person who should appropriately be the FBI director? Aren’t those comments inappropriate? Shouldn’t you disavow them and ask him to recant them?

Defense of the Nominee
Senator, I am not familiar with all those comments. I have not discussed those comments with Mr. Patel. What I do know—I’m asking for excuse me—what I do know is Mr. Patel was a career prosecutor, a career public defender defending people, and he also has great experience within the intelligence community. What I can sit here and tell you, Senator, is that Mr. Patel, if he works with running the FBI, if he is confirmed, and if I am confirmed, he will follow the law. Pam Bondi does not believe he would do anything otherwise.

Chilling Comments and Kids Online Safety Act
Let me just submit that the response I would have hoped to hear from you, Pam Bondi, is that those comments are inappropriate and that you will ask him to disavow or recant them when he comes before this committee because they are indeed chilling to fair enforcement and the rule of law. Let me ask you on another topic, when we met, I welcomed your support for the goals of the Kids Online Safety Act. Senator Blackburn and I have spent a lot of time and effort on the passage of the Kids Online Safety Act, which happened by an overwhelming vote of 91 to 3, with 72 co-sponsors, including Vice President-elect Vance.

Commitment to Protecting Children Online
I appreciated our discussion and your support for protecting kids online when we met last week. I’m hopeful that this area is one where we can work together. Pam Bondi, can we count on your support in working together to protect kids online?

Support for Collaboration
Senator, absolutely, and thank you for that legislation and Senator Blackburn. I believe in this world right now we have to find the things we have in common, and that is certainly one of them, Senator. Protecting our children from online predators—you’ve done so much on that front, and I thank you. I attempted to do that as well when I was Attorney General, but I, Pam Bondi, am committed to working with you on anything we can do to protect our children throughout this country.

Commitment to Address TikTok and National Security

When I was Attorney General, we started something called “From Instant Message to Instant Nightmare,” educating parents about online predators. That also, Senator, is one of the core functions of the FBI—the Cyber Unit. These agents sit there all day long and investigate child predators. We tell parents constantly, you think you’re talking to another child. I apologize, I’m going to interrupt you. I welcome your positive response. I have one more question that I’m going to try to fit into this round.

TikTok will be banned unless it is sold because it has become a tool for the Chinese to collect information, conduct surveillance, and endanger our national security. Pam Bondi, can you commit that you will enforce that law promptly and effectively? I ask this question because President Trump’s pick for your Solicitor General in the Department of Justice went to the United States Supreme Court arguing that the ban should be delayed. Will you commit to enforcing that law on your first day if you are confirmed?

Response on Enforcement of TikTok Ban

Senator, as I discussed with you during our meeting, that is pending litigation within the Department of Justice. Well, it’s pending litigation, but will you enforce that law? I can’t discuss pending litigation, but I will talk to all the career prosecutors who are handling the case. Absolutely, Senator, I will discuss it with them.