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3w ago

Bondi Grilled at Senate Oversight Hearing Over Comey Indictment and DOJ Independence

Democrats argue the department is serving the president’s enemies list.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Oct. 7 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Attorney General Pam Bondi listens as President Donald Trump signs a presidential memorandum on the death penalty in the District of Columbia in the Oval Office at the White House, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Special Counsel Jack Smith delivers remarks on a recently unsealed indictment including four felony counts against former U.S. President Donald Trump on August 1, 2023 in Washington, DC.

Overview

  • Attorney General Pam Bondi faced combative questioning as she defended her tenure and said the Justice Department is “returning to our core mission,” rejecting accusations of politicized prosecutions.
  • Senators focused on the recent indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, which followed the ouster of EDVA U.S. attorney Erik Siebert and installation of Lindsey Halligan; Comey is due in court Wednesday and Bondi declined to discuss her talks with the president or personnel moves.
  • On the eve of the hearing, Chairman Chuck Grassley released FBI documents showing Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team tracked call metadata of eight Republican senators in 2023, prompting GOP calls for a special prosecutor and further hearings.
  • Lawmakers pressed Bondi on transparency over the Jeffrey Epstein investigative materials, with bipartisan pressure for more disclosures despite a July DOJ/FBI position that no further releases are warranted, and Bondi saying there was “no client list.”
  • Nearly 300 former DOJ employees issued a letter urging stronger congressional oversight and criticizing leadership changes and departures that they say have undermined long‑standing norms of independence.