Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Pam Bondi, met Monday with senior Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee who said they looked forward to a confirmation hearing for her next year.
Bondi, a former Florida attorney general, met separately with Sen. Charles E. Grassley, who plans to be chairman of the panel in the next Congress, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, the top Republican on the committee in this Congress. Grassley and Graham opened the beginning of their meetings to press photographers, and both praised her as Trump’s pick for attorney general, a role in which she will likely be tasked with implementing Trump’s plans to remake an agency he criticized on the campaign trail.
Grassley, in a statement released after his meeting with Bondi, pledged that the Judiciary Committee would move swiftly to consider her anticipated nomination when the new Congress convenes. He described her as “a well-qualified nominee with an impressive legal career,” pointing in part to her years as Florida attorney general.
“Bondi is prepared to refocus the Justice Department (DOJ)’s attention where it ought to be: on enforcing the law and protecting Americans’ safety,” he said in the statement.
The Justice Department should prioritize transparency and recommit itself to “blind justice,” Grassley said in the statement.
“To achieve this, Bondi will need to show unfailing support for whistleblowers, demonstrate respect for the DOJ Office of Inspector General’s independent oversight and commit to working with Congress to shed light on the Biden administration’s weaponization of the DOJ,” Grassley said.
Graham, seated next to Bondi ahead of their meeting, told reporters that Bondi was a “great pick” and a longtime friend. Afterward, Graham posted on social media that Bondi is “in my view the right person at the right time to take on the task of being the next Attorney General of the United States. I look forward to the confirmation hearing.”
Bondi, if confirmed, would oversee a sprawling Department of Justice responsible for federal criminal prosecution and a wide array of law enforcement. In the role, she could advocate certain funding priorities, oversee the legal defense of Trump administration policies and shift policy on topics such as immigration, voting rights and antitrust enforcement.
The meetings stand in stark contrast with Trump’s previous pick for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who faced serious misconduct allegations and infuriated fellow Republicans during his time in Congress. Gaetz dropped his bid for the position a day after meeting behind closed doors with several Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
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