WASHINGTON — Attorney General Pam Bondi faced sharp questioning from lawmakers during a tense Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, as senators pressed her over the Justice Department’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein’s files, the deployment of federal agents to Chicago, and allegations that the department has been transformed into a tool of political retribution under President Donald Trump.
The hearing, Bondi’s first oversight appearance since taking office earlier this year, unfolded against a backdrop of intensifying scrutiny over the administration’s use of federal power. Bondi repeatedly refused to answer whether the president directed prosecutions of his political rivals, including former FBI Director James Comey, who was indicted days after Trump publicly demanded action against him.
When asked by Democratic senators whether she had discussed investigations or prosecutions with Trump, Bondi declined to respond, saying only, “I’m not going to discuss any conversations I did or did not have with the President.” The attorney general’s silence fueled concerns among Democrats that the Justice Department has been weaponized to pursue the president’s perceived enemies while shielding his allies from accountability.
Bondi also came under fire for her department’s refusal to release additional materials related to Epstein, the convicted sex offender and former associate of Trump who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. Despite previously telling Fox News that the Epstein files were “sitting on my desk,” Bondi defended her decision not to disclose them, insisting there was no “client list” and describing claims to the contrary as “salacious” and “politically motivated.”
Democrats questioned whether the department had ordered the FBI to flag Epstein-related records that included the president’s name. Bondi dismissed the question, reiterating that she would not discuss internal communications.
The hearing quickly turned combative as Bondi clashed with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. When Republican Senator Lindsey Graham asked how many undocumented immigrants live in Chicago, Bondi appeared flustered, flipping through her notes before replying, “Countless.” Pressed further on whether the city qualifies as a sanctuary jurisdiction, she accused local officials of “not cooperating” with federal immigration enforcement and criticized Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker for his response to recent federal raids.
In another exchange, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, who represents Illinois, pressed Bondi on whether the White House consulted her before deploying National Guard troops to Chicago amid a series of controversial immigration enforcement operations. “I wish you loved Chicago as much as you hate President Trump,” Bondi shot back, drawing rebukes from Durbin, who reminded her, “It’s my job to grill you.”
The hearing also revisited a series of personnel and prosecutorial decisions that critics say reflect a growing pattern of political interference within the Justice Department. Lawmakers cited the abrupt resignation of the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, who objected to charging Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, and the closure of investigations into Trump allies, including former Border Czar Tom Homan. Bondi dismissed questions about those cases, saying she would not comment on ongoing personnel matters.
The hearing follows months of turmoil within the department. Dozens of senior career officials have resigned or been reassigned since Bondi’s confirmation, with some alleging the Justice Department has been turned into what one former prosecutor described as the “Department of Revenge.” Nearly 300 former DOJ employees issued a public letter on the eve of the hearing, calling Bondi’s leadership “appalling” and urging Congress to “restore the independence of American justice.”
Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley opened the hearing by defending the administration’s actions, accusing prior Democratic leadership of weaponizing the Justice Department and the FBI against Trump. Ranking Democrat Dick Durbin countered that the current department had “systematically purged” career officials and undermined constitutional norms. “What has taken place since January 20, 2025, would make even President Nixon recoil,” Durbin said.
Throughout the session, Bondi maintained that her office was restoring integrity to the department after what she described as years of politically motivated investigations targeting Trump and his allies. “We are returning to our core mission of fighting real crime,” she told lawmakers. “In eight short months, we have made tremendous progress toward that end.”
However, critics argue that under Bondi’s leadership, the Justice Department has prioritized political loyalty over impartial law enforcement. Several ongoing cases have fueled that perception, including the recent indictment of Comey, the dropping of investigations into administration allies, and the dismissal of prosecutors who questioned the direction of politically sensitive cases.
Bondi also faced pointed questions about the Justice Department’s handling of recent immigration enforcement operations in Chicago, where National Guard and federal agents have conducted sweeping raids that have drawn criticism from civil rights groups and state officials. When asked about reports that children and U.S. citizens were detained or zip-tied during those raids, Bondi offered no specifics.
In her testimony, Bondi defended the administration’s aggressive posture, asserting that “law and order” required decisive federal action in cities where, she claimed, local leaders “refuse to cooperate.” She praised FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche for “advancing President Trump’s agenda and protecting the executive branch from judicial overreach.”
The hearing underscored deep divisions between Republicans and Democrats over the Justice Department’s role in the Trump administration’s broader efforts to reshape federal law enforcement. While Republicans framed Bondi’s tenure as a long-overdue correction of past abuses, Democrats portrayed it as an alarming erosion of democratic norms and the rule of law.
By the end of the nearly five-hour session, Bondi had refused to answer key questions about her communications with Trump, the department’s treatment of career officials, and the decision to withhold Epstein-related materials. Her combative exchanges with lawmakers — including personal attacks on Democratic senators and repeated deflections — left little doubt about the partisan rancor now defining the nation’s top law enforcement agency.
Bondi departed the hearing without taking questions from reporters. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
