Sen Sheldon Whitehouse demands AG nom Pam Bondi answer for Kash Patel’s alleged ‘enemies list’

In her opening statement, Bondi told lawmakers that she believes "we are on the cusp of a new golden age where the Department of Justice can and will do better if I am confirmed." She added, "I will fight every day to restore confidence and integrity to the Department of Justice and each of its components. The partisanship, the weaponization will be gone. America will have one tier of justice for all."

During questioning, Democrat Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse asked Bondi, "You have said that Department of Justice prosecutors will be prosecuted in the Trump administration. What Department of Justice prosecutors will be prosecuted and why?"

Bondi replied, "I said that on TV, I said prosecutors will be prosecuted, to finish the quote, if bad. Investigators will be investigated. You know, we all take an oath to uphold the law. None of us are above the law."

She cited an example of a "bad lawyer within the Department of Justice," former FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith, who "altered a FISA warrant, one of the most important things we can do in this country."

"So will everyone be held to an equal, fair system of justice if I am the next attorney general? Absolutely. And no one is above the law."

Bondi also spoke on the weaponization of the justice system under the Biden administration against Trump. "It would not be appropriate for a prosecutor to start with a name and look for a crime," she said, later adding, "I think that is the whole problem with the weaponization that we have seen the last four years and what’s been happening to Donald Trump."

"They targeted Donald Trump. They went after him, actually starting back in 2016, they targeted his campaign. They have launched countless investigations against him. That will not be the case if I am attorney general."

"I will not politicize that office. I will not target people simply because of their political affiliation. Justice will be administered even-handily throughout this country."

Whitehouse also asked Bondi, who has served as Florida’s attorney general, whether she ever had an "enemies list," or whether she would hire someone who had such a list.

She replied, "Senator, to cut to the chase, you’re clearly talking about Kash Patel," Trump’s nominee to lead the FBI. "I don’t believe he has an enemies list. He made a quote on TV which I have not heard, I saw your sign or Senator Durbin’s sign, about Kash. I know that Kash Patel has had 60 jury trials as a public defender, as a prosecutor."

"He has great experience," she continued, adding, "I believe that Kash is the right person at this time for this job."

She told Whitehouse, "You’ll have the ability to question Mr. Patel" when you have a hearing, to which the lawmaker said he was asking Bondi whether she would enforce an enemies list.

"There will never be an enemies list within the Department of Justice," she replied.