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Bondi hearing live updates: Bondi suggests Jack Smith's conduct is 'horrible'

Pam Bondi is getting grilled before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

ByIvan Pereira, Alexander Mallin, Peter Charalambous, and Julia Reinstein
Last Updated: January 15, 2025, 6:01 PM EST

President-elect Donald Trump's choice to head the Justice Department -- former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi -- faced questions for more than five hours before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

Democrats asked about her vow to "prosecute the prosecutors—the bad ones," referring to special counsel Jack Smith and other DOJ lawyers who investigated Trump. Democrats on the committee also pressed Bondi on Jan. 6, the 2020 presidential election results, and how she would be independent of hypothetical Trump demands.

Republicans on the committee spent a lot of their time criticizing the DOJ under the Biden Administration, alleging it was weaponized to target Trump.

The committee will reconvene to hear from outside witnesses on Thursday.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing:
Jan 15, 2025, 3:12 PM EST

Bondi suggests Jack Smith's conduct is 'horrible', refuses to say if he will be probed

During a contentious exchange with Sen. Adam Schiff, Pam Bondi repeatedly declined to answer whether she would open an investigation into special counsel Jack Smith before suggesting his conduct is "horrible."

Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Justice Department as attorney general, appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for her confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 15, 2025.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP

"Senator, I haven't seen the file. I haven't seen the investigation, I haven't looked at anything," Bondi said multiple times when asked by Schiff about a potential Smith probe.

"Are you aware of a factual predicate to investigate Jack Smith, yes or no?" Schiff asked.

Sen. Adam Schiff speaks as Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Justice Department as attorney general, appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for her confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 15, 2025.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP

"Senator, what I'm hearing on the news is horrible. Do I know if he committed a crime? I have not looked at it," Bondi said.

Jan 15, 2025, 3:07 PM EST

Hearing ends

The first day of the Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing for Bondi's nomination ended after more than five hours of testimony. The committee will reconvene Thursday to hear from outside witnesses.

Jan 15, 2025, 2:43 PM EST

Bondi speaks on mifepristone

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker asked Bondi about the abortion pill mifepristone, which despite FDA approval, has faced numerous legal challenges that have threatened access to the medication.

Bondi said she has "always been pro-life" but would "not let my personal beliefs affect how I carry out the law."

Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Justice Department as attorney general, appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for her confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 15, 2025.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Jan 15, 2025, 2:30 PM EST

Bondi signals willingness to continue antitrust cases

Bondi signaled her willingness to continue the DOJ's historic antitrust cases against Apple, Ticketmaster and Google, telling Sen. Amy Klobuchar that she is committed to protecting consumers.

"Senator, I haven't looked at those on a case-by-case basis, but I'm committed to that type of case and protecting consumers," Bondi said.

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