Dems turn their sights to Pam Bondi after Noem firing
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Attorney General Pam Bondi attends at an event at the White House on March 5. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Attorney General Pam Bondi may suffer the most collateral damage from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's firing, with congressional Democrats now saying it gives them space to focus their criticism and scrutiny squarely on her.
Why it matters: Bondi has already faced intense flak from Congress over her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, with lawmakers in both parties accusing her of being insufficiently transparent.
- Five Republicans on the House Oversight Committee voted with Democrats on Wednesday to subpoena Bondi to testify about the Epstein matter.
- And Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) on Thursday introduced articles of impeachment against Bondi, charging her with obstruction of Congress and dereliction of duty for withholding Epstein documents.
- A DOJ spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on the impeachment measure.
What they're saying: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), asked about Noem's ouster at a press conference Thursday, name-checked Bondi and White House adviser Stephen Miller as the two who have "got to go" next.
- "We're going to approach those two toxic individuals with the same intensity that has now led to the termination of Kristi Noem," he said.
- House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin told Axios: "Look there's a culture of lawlessness and chaos in the Cabinet and Noem was a big part of it, but Bondi is a central part of it and she's been at the heart of the Epstein cover-up."
- "Pam Bondi is the most high-profile member of the Cabinet that is involved in corruption, so I think a lot of folks are going to look at that," said Oversight Committee ranking member Robert Garcia (D-Calif.).
Between the lines: Politics is also at play, of course, with polling that suggests Bondi is one of the least popular Trump Cabinet official helping to fuel these efforts.
- "The president does has a proclivity for getting rid of people who are dragging him down," said Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), a senior Oversight Committee member.
- "Kristi Noem was dragging him down and I think Pam Bondi is too on the Epstein thing. ... She's causing the president some pain right now and I would not be surprised if he was thinking about getting rid of her."
Flashback: Bondi clashed ferociously with Democrats at a House Judiciary Committee hearing last month, in which she referred to Raskin as a "washed-up, loser lawyer."
- Democrats and even some Republicans also raged at her after it was revealed that the Justice Department was cataloguing members' searches of unredacted Epstein files.
Yes, but: The heat is also not fully off Noem. "I'm not done with her yet, she still needs to get impeached," said Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), who has pushed for impeachment hearings.
- Noting that Noem now has a new — albeit lower profile role — in the Trump administration, Ramirez told Axios: "If we end up impeaching her and taking it to the Senate, she'll never be able to serve in any public position."
- Impeachment is a long shot, however, with Republicans in control of both chambers of Congress. The Senate also requires a two-thirds majority to convict in an impeachment trial.
