Video: Bondi Hides From Blumenthal Questions About DOJ Coddling of Corporate Interests

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Attorney General Pam Bondi refused to answer questions raised today by U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, about the favorable terms granted by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to large companies seeking to merge - including one with ties to Bondi's former employer, Ballard Partners.

In July, two senior antitrust attorneys were fired reportedly after opposing a proposed settlement in DOJ's lawsuit challenging Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.'s (HPE) acquisition of Juniper Networks, Inc. (Juniper).

"The merger between Hewlett-Packard Enterprises and Juniper Networks was settled. You authorized the settlement. It was the subject of a lawsuit to block it. The settlement produced virtually no concessions from Hewlett-Packard. It was a settlement that prompted criticism from the antitrust division. Did you authorize that settlement yourself?" Blumenthal asked.

Bondi refused to answer.

Blumenthal then sought an answer about Bondi's communications with her former employer, Brian Ballard, who was paid two hundred thousand dollars by Amex GBT to lobby DOJ regarding "antitrust issues." The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit challenging Amex's proposed acquisition of CWT Holdings in January. In July, DOJ abruptly dropped the case without issuing a public press release. Recent reporting suggests that DOJ may have voluntarily dismissed the case so that Amex GBT and CWT could avoid disclosing the full list of lobbyists and consultants they hired to work on the case.

"I understand that Brian Ballard-longtime backer and head of the law firm where you worked-was instrumental in lobbying the Justice Department to drop that lawsuit. It was dismissed. So it's not subject to a court review. What conversations did you have with Mr. Ballard?" Blumenthal asked.

Bondi again refused to answer, resorting to discredited personal attacks to avoid the question.

In August, Blumenthal and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) wrote the CEOs of Amex GBT and CWT Holdings seeking information about the companies' hiring of lobbyists and political consultants with close ties to the Trump Administration, allegedly to obtain a favorable settlement regarding their proposed merger.

In July, Blumenthal and Warren were joined by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) in writing DOJ Acting Inspector General William Blier calling for an investigation of the settlement in DOJ's lawsuit challenging HPE's acquisition of Juniper. The senators also wrote HPE seeking information about the company's hiring of political consultants with close Trump Administration ties. While one of these lobbyists was publicly disclosed in accordance with federal law, that disclosure appears to have been incomplete.

The full text of the senators' letters to the DOJ Office of the Inspector General is available here and the full text of the senators' letter to HPE is available here. The full text of the letter to Amex GBT and CWT Holdings is available here and copied below.

Warren also led a letter in July with Blumenthal, Booker, and Klobuchar and to Judge P. Casey Pitts of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, urging the court to use its power under the Tunney Act to determine whether DOJ approved HPE's $14 billion acquisition of Juniper based on political favors. The full text of the letter is available here.

A transcript of Blumenthal's full exchange with Bondi regarding DOJ's antitrust enforcement is copied below. A video is available here.

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT): The merger between Hewlett-Packard Enterprises and Juniper Networks was settled. You authorized the settlement. It was the subject of a lawsuit to block it. The settlement produced virtually no concessions from Hewlett-Packard. It was a settlement that prompted criticism from the antitrust division. Did you authorize that settlement yourself?

Attorney General Pam Bondi: As I stated earlier, Gail Slater is doing an incredible job running the antitrust unit. And as I stated earlier, that is still a pending matter, as you should know with a law degree, that all mergers-

Blumenthal: Well, you then fired, did you not, two-

Bondi: If I could finish answering the question, if I could finish.

Blumenthal: I'm going to, with apologies, interrupt you-

Bondi: No, I'm answering the question.

Blumenthal: Because my time is limited.

Bondi: No, well then don't ask me a question.

Blumenthal: Let me just ask you, did you-

Bondi: So, as I said, you have a law degree. You know that not only are mergers agreed upon, but they have to go to a court of law to be approved. It is a multistep process. And as I said earlier, that is still pending. And I have full faith in Gail Slater.

Blumenthal: And Ms. Slater reportedly objected to the settlement.

Bondi: Reportedly.

Blumenthal: And, moreover-

Bondi: Moreover.

Blumenthal: Two of her top officials were fired. Roger Alford and Bill Rinner. Did you authorize and direct those firings after they objected to the settlement?

Bondi: I'm not going to discuss personnel matters or pending litigation in my office.

Blumenthal: Let me ask you about another merger-the merger involving two home health care agencies, on favorable terms, likely to drive up costs for millions of Americans. The Transportation Department's rule to provide compensation to travelers impacted by airline-caused flight delays, which was canceled. The merger of Skydance and Paramount after Paramount's ownership took a number of steps favorable to the President. These kinds of mergers belie the claims that President Trump himself has made, that this Administration will stop big corporate mergers that ultimately benefit the owners of those corporations rather than consumers or ordinary, everyday Americans. And let me ask you about particularly-

Bondi: Senator, you just, wait, you just listed a, you just gave a list of many mergers.

Blumenthal: Well let me just finish, I have a question for you.

Bondi: Can you talk to me about the issues with these mergers?

Blumenthal: I do have a question. In the merger that took place-

Bondi: Which merger? You listed many.

Blumenthal: -involving American Express GBT. I understand that Brian Ballard-longtime backer and head of the law firm where you worked-was instrumental in lobbying the Justice Department to drop that lawsuit. It was dismissed. So it's not subject to a court review. What conversations did you have with Mr. Ballard?

Bondi: Senator Blumenthal, I cannot believe that you would accuse me of impropriety when you lied about your military service. You, you lied-you admitted you lied-to be elected a U.S. Senator. You lied. How dare you. I'm a career prosecutor. Don't you ever challenge my integrity.

Blumenthal: I am not asking you. I am not accusing you of impropriety. I'm asking you about conversations with Mr. Ballard.

Bondi: I have abided by every ethics standard. Do not question my ability to be fair and impartial as Attorney General and anything with my former firm, Ballard Partners.

Blumenthal: You'll answer that question to another of my colleagues. Thank you.

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