Columbia Standard

U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered an opening statement during the second day of hearings for Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump's nominee for Attorney General. The hearing featured testimony from outside witnesses.

Durbin raised several issues from the previous day's hearing. He questioned Bondi's reluctance to acknowledge Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 presidential election. "Ms. Bondi was unable to just expressly [say] ‘yes, Joe Biden received more votes than Donald Trump and was elected president in 2020.’ Why is that such a hard question?" Durbin asked.

He also criticized Bondi's characterization of the transition of power as peaceful, reflecting on the events of January 6, 2021. "That was not a ‘peaceful transition of power,’" he stated, referring to the violence at the Capitol.

Durbin expressed concern over Bondi's stance on pardons for those involved in the January 6 insurrection. "She wouldn’t comment," he said about her position on potential pardons promised by Trump.

Additionally, Durbin addressed concerns regarding Kash Patel and his alleged "enemies list." He noted Bondi's support for Patel and questioned her judgment in endorsing him.

Durbin emphasized the importance of independence for the Attorney General role, expressing doubt about Bondi's ability to resist undue influence from Trump: "The American people and the Constitution control that office."

He introduced a minority outside witness panel featuring Lisa Gilbert from Public Citizen and Mary McCord from Georgetown Law Center.