A Senate panel voted on Jan. 29 to advance former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi’s nomination to lead the Department of Justice (DOJ), teeing up a vote before the full chamber.
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12–10 with Democrats opposed. The vote was conducted two weeks after Bondi appeared before the committee and fielded questions about a wide range of topics, including immigration and weaponization of the government.
The committee had been scheduled to vote on Bondi’s confirmation on Jan. 22, but Democrats delayed the vote.
Some of the questions focused on President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the FBI, Kash Patel, saying he had a purported enemies list.
They seemed to be referring to a group of so-called deep state members that Patel listed in his book “Government Gangsters.”
His confirmation hearing has yet to take place, but it will likely include similar questions about weaponization.
On Jan. 27, McHenry fired multiple DOJ officials “who played a significant role in prosecuting President Trump,” according to a spokesperson for the DOJ.
“In light of their actions, the Acting Attorney General does not trust these officials to assist in faithfully implementing the President’s agenda,” the spokesperson said.
Trump has also chosen his attorneys to serve in key positions under Bondi in the DOJ.
In November 2024, he selected Todd Blanche to serve as deputy attorney general, D. John Sauer as solicitor general, and Emil Bove as principal associate deputy attorney general.
Bove, Trump said, would serve in Blanche’s place while the latter awaits Senate confirmation.
Before the vote on Jan. 29, Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said multiple witnesses had vouched for Bondi. He also responded to various concerns about Bondi, including the idea that she was an election denier.
“I accept the results,“ she told Ranking Member Richard Durbin (D-Ill.). ”I accept, of course, that Joe Biden is President of the United States.”
During the hearing, Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) accused Bondi of being unable to say who won the 2020 presidential election. Bondi gestured toward the microphone but did not offer any words in response.
“It’s disturbing that you can’t give voice to that fact,” Hirono said.
After Grassley’s comments, Durbin alleged that Trump would weaponize the DOJ against those he thought had wronged him.
He also said he was unconvinced Bondi believed the attorney general should be committed first to the Constitution rather than to the president.
Among other things, he accused Bondi of working with Trump to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
During her confirmation hearing, Democrats asked Bondi whether she would be willing to maintain a level of independence from Trump.
During his first week in office, Trump pardoned more than 1,000 Jan. 6 defendants who were prosecuted during the Biden administration, as well as multiple pro-life activists.
Trump has also tapped Harmeet Dhillon, one of his former campaign advisers, to lead the department’s civil rights division and Gail Slater to head the antitrust division. The Senate has not voted on their confirmations.
