Columbia Standard

During the second day of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Senator Dick Durbin questioned witnesses about Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump's nominee for Attorney General. Durbin's inquiries focused on Bondi's stance on law enforcement and potential conflicts of interest from her lobbying career.

Durbin first addressed Emery Gainey, former Sheriff of Alachua County and Bondi’s Chief of Staff during her tenure as Florida’s Attorney General. He asked Gainey whether Bondi would support law enforcement if events similar to January 6 were to occur again. Gainey affirmed that Bondi had supported law enforcement in Florida.

Despite Bondi's condemnation of violence against law enforcement, Durbin pointed out President-elect Trump's intention to pardon those who assaulted Capitol police officers on January 6. Durbin also expressed concerns about Trump's history with his Attorneys General, Jeff Sessions and Bill Barr, asking Nicholas Cox from the Florida Office of the Attorney General if Bondi could withstand pressure from Trump. Cox believed that Bondi understands her duties and ethical boundaries.

Further questions were directed at Lisa Gilbert, Co-President of Public Citizen, regarding Bondi's lobbying career and its potential conflicts with her role as Attorney General. Gilbert noted that while past Attorneys General have had private sector backgrounds, none matched the scale of Bondi's lobbying activities.

Bondi was a lobbyist with Ballard Partners in Washington, D.C., representing special interests and a foreign government. In her Senate Judiciary Questionnaire response on conflicts of interest, she only mentioned work for the America First Policy Institute and her brother’s legal practice.

Video footage and audio recordings of Durbin's questions are available for viewing.