Durbiin Questions Outside Witnesses During Second Day Of Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing For President-Elect Trump's Pick To Be Attorney General, Pam Bondi

Durbiin Questions Outside Witnesses During Second Day Of Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing For President-Elect Trump's Pick To Be Attorney General, Pam Bondi

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned outside witnesses during the second day of the Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing for Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump's pick to be Attorney General of the United States. Durbin first questioned Mr. Emery Gainey, the former Sheriff of Alachua County and Ms. Bondi's Chief of Staff when she served as Florida's Attorney General, about whether she will support law enforcement if a day like January 6 happens again.

"You are aware of what happened here on January 6 in the Capitol complex and the law enforcement personnel who were attacked by the mob. A number of them [insurrectionists], hundreds of them have been prosecuted and some are serving sentences for violent felonies against our police. Was there anything like that in your background dealing with Ms. Bondi where she has been called on to make a decision on standing up for law enforcement in similar circumstances?" Durbin asked.

Mr. Gainey responded that Ms. Bondi supported law enforcement officers in Florida as Florida's Attorney General. During yesterday's hearing, Ms. Bondi continuously stated she "condemns any violence on a law enforcement officer," yet President-elect Trump has stated he will pardon the "political prisoners" who assaulted the Capitol police officers on January 6-the opposite of supporting our law enforcement.

Durbin then asked about President Trump's pressure on his former Attorneys General-both Jeff Sessions and Bill Barr-and if Ms. Bondi would also concede to President Trump's demands.

"This newly elected President [President-elect Trump], as a former President, fired two Attorneys General under circumstances where they disagreed with him. It is pretty clear that he is not averse to taking a different position than his Attorney General and having a pretty short temper when it comes to dealing with it. That is the reality of what we see on the record. Not once, but twice. Can you understand our concern about whether she would react positively if he put that pressure on her?" Durbin asked.

Mr. Nicholas Cox, the Statewide Prosecutor at the Florida Office of the Attorney General, responded that he understands Durbin's concerns but believes Ms. Bondi will stand up to President Trump's pressure. He also stated that she "understands" what her duty is and "understands the boundary of ethics."

Durbin then asked Ms. Lisa Gilbert, Co-President of Public Citizen, about Ms. Bondi's failure to identify her lobbying career as potential conflicts. During her time as a lobbyist, Ms. Bondi lobbied for a foreign government and big corporations, which raises concerns that she will prioritize their interests over those of the American people.

"You seem to suggest that she [Ms. Bondi] can't recuse herself out of her current situation-her background as a lobbyist and an attorney representing private interests. She might be able to find some response to it, but it can't overcome what you called 'systemic' [ethical issues]. Have we had Attorneys General in the past with backgrounds in the private sector facing similar circumstances?" Durbin asked.

Ms. Gilbert responded that we have had Attorneys General in the past who have lobbied but "nowhere near the scope and scale of Ms. Bondi" and that it "would be very hard for her to remove herself from every situation that touches on these corporate interests [she represents]."

Ms. Bondi was a registered lobbyist with the Washington, D.C.-based firm Ballard Partners. In that role, she has represented wealthy special interests and a foreign government, presenting serious potential conflicts of interest if she is confirmed as Attorney General. However, in response to Question 22 of the Senate Judiciary Questionnaire regarding conflicts of interest, she only listed two potential conflicts of interest: her work for the America First Policy Institute and her brother's legal practice.

Video of Durbin's questions in Committee is available here.

Audio of Durbin's questions in Committee is available here.

Footage of Durbin's questions in Committee is available here for TV Stations.

-30-