Bondi dodges senators' questions on Comey, Epstein probes
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Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Oct. 7 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Attorney General Pam Bondi refused Tuesday to answer senators' questions about investigations into former FBI Director James Comey and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Why it matters: Bondi's Justice Department has been accused of shielding President Trump and targeting his political enemies.
- Bondi, like other Trump officials facing Congressional oversight, responded combatively to a grilling from Democratic lawmakers.
- Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) asked if the White House had told Bondi who to investigate or not investigate. Bondi said she wouldn't discuss such conversations.
State of play: Bondi on Tuesday, avoiding specifics, said Comey was indicted by "one of the most liberal grand juries in the country."
- Comey was indicted last month in Virginia federal court and charged with making false statements to Congress and obstructing its investigation of the Russia probe.
Zoom in: Bondi told Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) she would not discuss conversations she had with Trump about Comey's indictment.
- Bondi and Trump met for dinner at the White House the night before the indictment.
Zoom out: Bondi also redirected questions about the Epstein investigation into scrutiny toward Democrats.
- Bondi asked Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) if he had questioned her predecessor, Merrick Garland, on Epstein.
- She also brought up Democratic ties to LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, an alleged Epstein associate.
Between the lines: Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) also asked Bondi who ordered her to flag Epstein records related to President Trump.
- "I'm not going to discuss anything about that with you, senator," Bondi said.
- Durbin responded: "Eventually you're going to have to answer for your conduct in this. You won't do it today, but eventually you will."
What we're watching: Democratic lawmakers repeatedly raised reported allegations that Trump border czar Tom Homan accepted a $50,000 bribe from an FBI agent last year.
- Bondi said the Justice Department found no evidence of wrongdoing, but she avoided saying if Homan returned the cash.
Friction point: Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) accused Bondi of stonewalling the committee's work. "This is supposed to be an oversight hearing in which members of Congress can get serious answers to serious questions," he said.
- Schiff listed topics Bondi skirted: Trump receiving a jet from Qatar, Trump's name in Epstein's records, the alleged $50,000 Homan bribe, if prosecutors had enough evidence to charge ex-FBI Director James Comey.
- Bondi, he noted, also wouldn't discuss the firing of lawyers who opposed a Hewlett Packard merger, the creation of a restoration fund for Jan. 6 defendants and if she believed government officials must comply with court orders.
Go deeper: Hundreds of ex-DOJ staffers demand oversight ahead of Pam Bondi hearing
Editor's note: This story was updated with details throughout.
