Durbin Questions President-Elect Trump's Pick To Be Attorney General, Pam Bondi, On Whether She Accepts The 2020 Elections Results, If She Will Be Loyal To The Constitution[...]

January 15, 2025

Durbin Questions President-Elect Trump's Pick To Be Attorney General, Pam Bondi, On Whether She Accepts The 2020 Elections Results, If She Will Be Loyal To The Constitution Over Trump

In her responses, Bondi refused to explicitly acknowledge Donald Trump lost the 2020 election

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump's pick to be Attorney General of the United States, during her nomination hearing. Durbin first asked Ms. Bondi about the 2020 election results.

"Most Americans believe that central to the peaceful transition of power in a democracy is the acceptance of the results of an election. To my knowledge, Donald Trump has never acknowledged the legal result of the 2020 election. Are you prepared to say today under oath, without reservation, Donald Trump lost the presidential contest to Joe Biden in 2020?" Durbin asked.

Ms. Bondi responded that President Biden "is the President of the United States. He was duly sworn in, and he is the President of the United States." She also continued to say that there was a "peaceful transition of power." However, on January 6, 2021, the election certification process was violently disrupted when a mob of Trump-inspired thugs attacked and trashed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn a free, fair, and valid election. January 6 resulted in the deaths of five of our law enforcement officers: Officer Brian Sicknick, Officer Howard Liebengood, Officer Jeffrey Smith, Officer Gunther Hashida, and Officer Kyle DeFreytag-and the injuries of approximately 140 other law enforcement officers. Despite Ms. Bondi's claims of a "peaceful transition of power," January 6 tells a different story.

Durbin continued to ask, "Do you have any doubt that Joe Biden had the majority of votes, electoral votes, necessary to be elected President in 2020?"

Ms. Bondi responded, "I accept of course that Joe Biden is President of the United States, but what I can tell you is what I saw firsthand when I went to Pennsylvania as an advocate for the campaign. I was an advocate for the campaign, and I was on the ground in Pennsylvania and I saw many things there. But do I accept the results? Of course I do. Do I agree with what happened? I saw so much."

On multiple occasions, Pam Bondi has shown a willingness to override the will of the American people at the behest of Donald Trump. In a press conference the day after Election Day in 2020, Ms. Bondi falsely claimed that President Trump won Pennsylvania (he lost by more than 80,000 votes), despite only 87 percent of ballots having been counted.

Durbin continued to say, "I think that question deserves a yes or no. I think the length of your answer is an indication that you were not prepared to answer yes."

Durbin then asked about President Trump's call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, where Trump pressured Raffensperger to "find" a sufficient number of votes for Trump to win the state.

"Have you heard the recording of President Trump on January 2, 2021, when he urged the Secretary [of State] of Georgia to 'find 11,780 votes' and declare him the winner of that state?" Durbin asked.

Ms. Bondi responded that she has only heard about the recording "through clips." She also stated that she has not listened to it.

"I hope you will [listen to the recording]. Every American should. As a former prosecutor, are you not concerned that the President of the United States called a state election official and asked him to find the votes to change the results of the election?" Durbin asked.

Ms. Bondi failed to recognize that, despite the recording, then-President Trump pressured Secretary Raffensperger.

Durbin then asked Ms. Bondi twice about pardons and specifically about pardoning the January 6 insurrectionists.

"Do you believe that those who have been convicted of the January 6th violent assaults on our police officers should be pardoned? That is a simple question," Durbin said.

Ms. Bondi responded that, "If confirmed and if asked to advise the President, I would look at each and every file, but let me be very clear in speaking to you: I condemn any violence on a law enforcement officer in this country."

Despite her response, Capitol police officers were violently attacked on January 6 by the same people whom she refused to confirm should not be pardoned.

Durbin then asked about Ms. Bondi's role as a registered lobbyist with the Washington, D.C.-based firm Ballard Partners. In that role, she has represented wealthy special interests and foreign governments, presenting serious potential conflicts of interest if she is confirmed as Attorney General. 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.

"You did not list your current position as a partner at the lobbying firm [Ballard Partners], nor the work you have done for your Ballard Partners clients, such as your lobbying for the Country of Qatar for $115,000 per month, and for corporate giants Amazon and Uber when asked about conflicts of interest. Why do you believe your work as a lobbyist does not constitute potential conflicts of interest?" Durbin asked.

Ms. Bondi responded, "if there are any conflicts with anyone I represented in private practice, I would consult with the career ethics officials within the department and make the appropriate decision."

Durbin responded, "The question is whether you will recuse yourself from any case involving your Ballard clients."

Durbin concluded by asking about her role with the GEO Group, a private prison company she lobbied for, which manages correctional centers and detention facilities. The GEO Group has faced criticism for safety violations, inadequate health care, and poor management practices. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is GEO's largest source of revenue. Under the Trump Administration, GEO stands to earn hundreds of millions of dollars by detaining immigrants.

"Would you sense any conflict of interest if you're asked to judge the performance of this government contractor?" Durbin asked.

Ms. Bondi responded that she "will consult with the career ethics official within the Department of Justice and make the appropriate decision."

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

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

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

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