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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.

Last Updated: January 15, 2025, 3:12 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.

3 hours and 58 minutes ago

Bondi says there are no discussions about probing political enemies

Welch brought up Trump's vow to go after his political opponents, including President Joe Biden.

Bondi testified that she has not had conversations with Trump about any plan to prosecuted Biden, Cheney, Sen. Adam Schiff and others.

However, she made unsubstantiated claims that such political prosecutions have taken place under Biden.

"No one will be prosecuted or investigated because they are a political opponent. That's what we've seen in the last four years," she said without sharing any specifics.

12:34 PM EST

Hearing resumes

The heading ended its lunch break. Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont has begun his questioning.

12:25 PM EST

Tillis says it's 'absurd, unfair' to ask about Jan 6 pardons

Without asking Bondi a direct question, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis attacked Democrats for asking Bondi whether she would support pardons for violent Jan. 6 rioters -- even after Bondi declined to answer directly earlier in the hearing whether such a move would be acceptable to her.

"I find it hard to believe that the president of the United States, or you, would look at facts that were used to convict the violent people on January the sixth," he said.

Despite Tillis' statement, Trump has made clear his plans to pardon a large number of Jan. 6 defendants once he takes office, and his transition has repeatedly declined to give clarity on the scope of those pardons.

11:58 AM EST

Hearing breaks for lunch

The hearing paused for a 30-minute lunch break.

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