AI Bondi sharp shooter--

AI Overview

During a combative Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on October 7, 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi refused to answer many questions from Democrats, instead delivering personal attacks on lawmakers and attacking her political opponents .

This behavior, which many viewed as contempt for congressional oversight, provoked strong criticism.

Questions Democrats asked Bondi

Democrats questioned Bondi on a range of topics, many related to concerns that the Trump administration was using the Department of Justice (DOJ) to go after political enemies. Some of the specific questions Bondi refused to answer included:

Conflict of interest: Did Bondi consult with career ethics lawyers before approving a $400 million deal from Qatar? Bondi formerly worked for Ballard Partners, a firm that lobbied on behalf of Qatar.

Epstein files: What role did Bondi or others play in flagging Donald Trump's name in federal documents related to Jeffrey Epstein? Bondi previously said the files were on her desk for review, but during the hearing, she would not elaborate.

Bribery allegations: What became of the $50,000 in cash that White House border czar Tom Homan allegedly accepted from undercover FBI agents in 2024?

Comey indictment: Did Bondi discuss the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey with Trump? Career prosecutors had previously deemed the case too weak to proceed.

Lawyer firings: Did Bondi approve the firing of antitrust lawyers who disagreed with the Hewlett Packard merger?

January 6 investigations: Was the DOJ firing career professionals simply because they worked on January 6 investigations?

Rioter compensation: Does Bondi support a fund to compensate "violent insurrectionists" who attacked the U.S. Capitol?

Legality of military strikes: How did the administration conclude that military strikes against civilians on boats in international waters were legal?

Upholding court orders: Does Bondi believe that government officials must abide by court orders?

Bondi's non-answers and combative responses

Rather than providing substantive answers, Bondi either dodged questions or responded with personal attacks against her questioners.

Targeting Adam Schiff: When pressed by Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) about the border czar investigation and her failure to answer questions, Bondi lashed out. She questioned Schiff's law degree and asked if he would apologize to Trump for his impeachment efforts.

Targeting Dick Durbin: When Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) questioned the deployment of the National Guard to Chicago, Bondi accused him of hating Trump more than he loved Chicago.

Dismissing concerns: In general, Bondi dismissed Democratic concerns that the DOJ was being weaponized, instead turning the accusation back on the Biden administration. She repeatedly stated that her goal was to end the "weaponization of justice" that she claimed occurred under her predecessor.

Claiming privilege: When asked about her conversations with Trump regarding Comey's indictment, Bondi invoked attorney-client privilege, saying she would not discuss private discussions with the president.