By RACHEL BOWMAN, US NEWS REPORTER
Updated: 17:29 BST, 7 October 2025
Attorney General Pam Bondi is facing a grilling from the Senate Judiciary Committee today – her first hearing since taking office – over growing questions about political influence over the Justice Department.
During the hearing, Bondi was questioned by senator Lindsey Graham over the investigation into former FBI director James Comey. Raising his voice, Graham slammed Bondi, asking:
‘You wonder why we’re looking at Comey? Give me a break. We’re looking at Comey because he ran an FBI and personally knew about exculpatory information and let it slide.’
Bondi refused to comment on the case.
It comes as the country enters day seven of the government shutdown, where Senate Democrats and Republicans seem to be at an impasse over a funding bill.
Bondi is facing questions about allegations that she weaponized the Justice Department against Trump’s perceived enemies, as well as mass layoffs across the DoJ and the Epstein files.
Follow along for the latest updates
Sen. Graham ripped into Bondi over Comey investigation
Senator Lindsey Graham hit at Attorney General Pam Bondi with questions over the investigation into Former FBI Director James Comey.
‘You wonder why we’re looking at Comey? Give me a break. We’re looking at Comey because he ran an FBI and personally knew about exculpatory information and let it slide,’ he said.
‘How in the hell can the document you’re using against a sitting president to suggest he may be a Russian agent, or Carter Page, how does that not get to the court?’
Bondi said she could not comment on the case.
Graham was questioning Bondi about why no case had been brought against Comey, questioning why he withheld evidence that could have proved exculpatory in Trump’s case.
This includes a memo from the intelligence community suggesting that the allegations against Trump might have been politically motivated and that the infamous Steele dossier was financed by Clinton’s campaign.
The Steele dossier was used to obtain FISA warrants against Trump campaign staff like Carter Page.
Canadian PM Mark Carney meets with Trump at White House
President Donald Trump welcomed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to the White House on Tuesday for a bilateral meeting.
Carney’s visit comes amid anticipated discussions over tariffs, and as Trump has repeatedly joked about Canada becoming America’s 51st state.
Speaking in the Oval Office, Carney called Trump ‘a transformative president,’ while kicking off his remarks.
Trump, meanwhile, noted that there would be discussion of the Gaza peace deal.
‘I think there’s a possibility we can have peace in the Middle East,’ Trump said.
Bondi accuses Dem senator of lying about military service
Attorney General Pam Bondi got into a spat with Sen. Richard Blumenthal during questioning about corporate mergers.
‘In the merger that took place involving American Express GBT, I understand that Brian Ballard, longtime backer and head of the law firm where you worked, was instrumental in lobbying the Justice Department to drop that lawsuit. What conversations did you have with Mr. Ballard?’ Blumenthal asked.
Bondi fired back and accused Blumenthal of lying about his military record.
‘Senator Blumenthal, I cannot believe that you would accuse me of impropriety when you lied about your military service. You lied, you admitted you lied to be elected a US senator,’ she said.
‘How dare you? I’m a career prosecutor. Don’t you ever challenge my integrity. Do not question my ability to be fair and impartial as attorney general.’
She was referring to Blumenthal’s previous controversy about serving in the Marine Reserves during the Vietnam war, but not actually serving in the war.
Hawley lashes out over Arctic Frost dossier
Senator Josh Hawley expressed his frustration with a bombshell report claiming the FBI spied on Republican lawmakers.
‘I’ve heard them say that Joe Biden never targeted his political enemies,’ Hawley said. ‘Huh? That’s interesting, because I could have sworn that yesterday we learned that the FBI tapped my phone.’
He was referring to a document released by Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley on Monday that show the lawmakers were being investigated during Former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s ‘Arctic Frost’ probe into the January 6 Capitol riot.
Pam Bondi said that 485 sponsors of unaccompanied migrant children have been arrested.
‘They’re not parents, they’re not guardians. They’re coming into this country. They were coming into this country without any ramification across the Mexican border until Donald Trump became president again, and that’s when it stopped,’ Bondi said.
‘We are doing everything in our power to find and arrest these people who are exploiting these children and find these children throughout our country.
‘Donald Trump will not rest until all of these sponsors are found and these children are found and protected.’
Hawley questions Bondi over Biden’s FBI tapping GOP Senators’ phones
Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley asked Attorney General Pam Bondi about the FBI during the Biden administration tapping the phones of sitting members of the United States Senate.
Hawley presented a list of Senators whose phones had been tapped, including himself, South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham, and Tennessee Republican Marsha Blackburn, as well as five other Senators.
‘Senator Hawley, I cannot discuss the details of that right now, for very good reason,’ Bondi responded, before adding ‘we will be looking at all aspects of this, and I have talked to Director Patel at length, and we’re going to figure out who was involved in this, who signed off on it, who knew about it.’
Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley announced Monday that the Biden FBI spied on eight Republican Senators as part of the Arctic Frost Investigation.
The list also included Bill Hagerty, Dan Sullivan, Tommy Tuberville, Ron Johnson and Cynthia Lummis.
AG declines to discuss Venezuelan boat strikes
Pam Bondi refused to answer questions about the military strikes on Venezuelan boats that were allegedly carrying drugs.
Sen. Chris Coons asked about the legal justification for the strikes.
‘Due process is the cornerstone of our Constitution,’ Coons said. ‘I’m deeply concerned about the authority our president seems to be asserting to summarily kill people suspected of criminal activity outside the law.’
Bondi replied, ‘I’m not going to discuss any legal advice that my department may or may not have given or issued at the direction of the president.
‘What I can tell you is Maduro is a narco-terrorist, and we announced a historic, I announced $50 million reward for his capture to bring him to this country to face charges.’
Bondi swerves question about Trump’s Truth Social posts
Sen. Amy Klobuchar pressed Pam Bondi about if she saw Donald Trump’s Truth Social post urging her to James Comey and Letitia James as a directive.
Bondi avoided the question saying, ‘President Trump is the most transparent president in American history, and I don’t think he said anything that he hasn’t said for years.’
Bondi questioned over ‘suspicious activity reports’ about Epstein
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse asked Pam Bondi on why the Justice Department has not looked into ‘hundreds’ of ‘suspicious activity reports’ about Jeffrey Epstein’s finances.
‘Some people would deduce from the fact that they are called suspicious activity reports, that there might be suspicious activity, and yet you seem to have looked at zero of those suspicious activity reports involving Jeffrey Epstein accounts,’ Whitehouse said.
He mentioned ‘public reporting that Jeffrey Epstein showed people photos of President Trump with half-naked young women.’
‘Do you know if the FBI found those photographs in their search of Jeffrey Epstein’s safe or premises or otherwise? Have you seen any such thing?’
Bondi hit back, ‘You know, Senator Whitehouse? You sit here and make salacious remarks, once again, trying to slander President Trump, left and right, when you’re the one who was taking money from one of Epstein’s closest confidants.’
Attorney General Pam Bondi blasts Illinois Senator Dick Durbin for not working to keep Chicago safe
Attorney General Pam Bondi pointed the finger at Illinois Senator Dick Durbin for not prioritizing the safety of Chicago over political wars with the Trump administration.
Bondi and Durbin sparred over the deployment of federal law enforcement to cities to conduct law enforcement activities in America’s most dangerous cities, including Chicago.
‘There were 571 homicides in Chicago last year,’ Bondi noted, before adding that ‘right now, Director Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche are on their way to Chicago.’
‘Whether or not the locals are cooperating with them, we’re going to be there protecting all Americans in this country,’ before noting that she wished Durbin would condemn Illinois governor JB Pritzker for not working with the administration like the leaders of Memphis, Tennessee, and Washington, DC.
Durbin responded that ‘Chicago is not the enemy. Fellow Americans are not the enemy. Attorney General Bondi is enabling President Trump’s war on Americans.’
Bondi sat before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday to update Senators on the latest activity at the Department of Justice.
AG declines to discuss White House conversations about National Guard
Pam Bondi declined to answer Sen. Dick Durbin’s question about her discussions with Donald Trump about the deployment of the National Guard to US cities.
Bondi said she would not ‘discuss any internal conversations with the White House.’
‘What’s the secret? Why do you want to keep this secret?’ Durbin quipped.
Bondi hit back at the Senator, saying ‘you’re sitting here’ while ‘law enforcement officers aren’t being paid.’
‘They’re out there working to protect you. I wish you loved Chicago as much as you hate President Trump,’ she said.
‘And currently, the National Guard are on the way to Chicago. If you’re not going to protect your citizens, President Trump will.’
Durbin replied, ‘I’ve been on this committee for more than 20 years. That’s the kind of testimony you expect from this administration.
‘A simple question as to whether or not they had a legal rationale for deploying National Guard troops becomes grounds for a personal attack.
‘I think it’s a legitimate question; it’s my responsibility. She refuses to answer as to whether she had any conversation with the White House about deploying national troops to my state. That’s an indication, I’m afraid, where we are politically in this place.’
Bondi defends Border Czar Homan’s alleged $50,000 payout
Asked by Rhode Island Democrat Senator Sheldon Whitehouse about a payment allegedly given to Tom Homan, President Trump’s Border Czar, Attorney General Bondi repeatedly noted there was ‘no credible evidence of any wrongdoing.’
‘Mr. Homan was subjected to a full review by the FBI agents and DOJ prosecutors. They found no credible evidence of any wrongdoing,’ Bondi said on Capitol Hill Tuesday.
Whitehouse asked Bondi further specific questions about Homan, to which she did not deliver a straight answer.
‘What happened to the $50,000. Did he take it home and keep it? Did the FBI get it back? Did he put on his tax returns? Pretty simple questions,’ Whitehouse pressed.
‘Senator, I’m not going to discuss personnel matters,’ Bondi responded.
Bondi stands by DOJ firings
Pam Bondi was asked what the Justice Department is doing to hold officials from past administrations ‘accountable for their failures.’
The attorney general said there have been ‘many terminations’ inside the DOJ and ‘we stand by all of those.’
Bondi spars with Durbin over Epstein files
Attorney General Pam Bondi and Senator Dick Durbin sparred over questions about the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Durbin asked Bondi about reports that investigators were ordered to flag any files from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation that mentioned Donald Trump.
Bondi hit back, asking Durbin why he blocked the release of Epstein’s flight logs.
‘Senator Durbin, I find it very interesting that you refused repeated Republican requests to release the Epstein flight logs,’ she said.
‘Did you take money from Reid Hoffman, campaign donations, who was a huge Epstein friend? Why did you fight for years?’
Durbin denied that he refused requests to release the flight logs, claiming his Republican colleagues never properly submitted the request in writing.
‘Who gave the order to flag records related to President Trump?’ Durbin asked again.
‘I’m not going to discuss anything about that with you,’ Bondi replied.
Durbin said, ‘Eventually you are going to have to answer for this.’
Grassley, Bondi commemorate October 7th attacks at Senate Hearing
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley kicked off the oversight hearing into the Department of Justice today by taking time to commemorate the two-year anniversary of the October 7th attacks by Hamas terrorists into Israel, the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.
Grassley noted that he had been visited by ‘some Palestinian advocates’ who talked ‘about the number of people being killed.’
The Chairman said he told the activist that ‘there wouldn’t have been one death if there hadn’t been this invasion of the sovereign state of Israel … two years ago today.’
Bondi also noted the attack during her opening statement, adding that it served as a reminder of the important work of her department.
Bondi boasts about advancing Trump’s agenda
Attorney General Pam Bondi began her Senate testimony accusing the Biden administration of weaponizing the Justice Department and boasting about their efforts to fight crime.
‘They were playing politics with law enforcement powers and will go down as a historic betrayal of public trust. We will work to earn that back every single day,’ she said.
‘My attorneys have done incredible work advancing President Trump’s agenda and protecting the executive branch from judicial overreach.’
Top Dem says Bondi has left ‘enormous stain’ on America
The ranking member of the Judiciary Committee Senator Dick Durbin accused Pam Bondi of weaponizing the DOJ in his opening statement.
‘Our nation’s top law enforcement agency has become a shield for the President and his political allies when they engage in misconduct,’ Durbin said.
‘The Attorney General has systematically weaponized our nation’s leading law enforcement agency to protect President Trump and his allies and attack his opponents and sadly, the American people.
‘This is your legacy, Attorney General Bondi. In eight short months, you have fundamentally transformed the Justice Department and left an enormous stain in American history. It will take decades to recover.’
Bondi’s supplies for Senate hearing
AG Pam Bondi has brought cough drops to her Senate Judiciary Committee hearing today as she braces for a tough grilling.
She also placed binders, water bottles and a Starbucks coffee cup in front of her as she sat for her first hearing since taking office.
Bondi arrived wearing an all-black ensemble, accessorized with a long American flag pendant and her blonde hair pulled back into a low ponytail.
She is expected to face questions about growing concerns over political influence in the Justice Department from the Senate Judiciary Committee today.
Democrats are expected to grill Bondi about politically charged investigations, mass firings and resignations of experienced prosecutors.
Republicans are likely to laud the Justice Department’s efforts to confront violent crime and reverse Biden-era priorities.
Bondi may also face questions about the Justice Department’s handling of investigative files related to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation.
Bondi hearing kicks off
Attorney General Pam Bondi has arrived at her Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
She is wearing an all black ensemble with her blonde hair pulled back into a low ponytail.
She accessorized with a long American flag pendant, a cross necklace and small gold hoop earrings.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, gaveled in the hearing just before 9.15am.
The Federal Aviation Authority on Monday warned air traffic control towers at Hollywood Burbank Airport would be unmanned until at least 10pm local time.
Without on-site air traffic controllers, the airport’s arrivals and departures will be managed by TRACON, a team working out of San Diego which already handles much of Burbank’s traffic.
It’s unclear how long staffing issues would affect schedules or how many employees have left their post.
AG could face questions over Jeffrey Epstein case
Pam Bondi may also face questions about the Justice Department’s handling of investigative files related to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation during her Senate hearing today.
Bondi became paranoid that FBI Director Kash Patel was ‘trying to destroy her’ by leaking to the media details about internal disputes, people familiar with the discussions detailed to the Wall Street Journal.
She apparently told White House officials that Patel and other FBI leaders were out to get her.
In August, she made thousands of files related to the case public in an effort to increase transparency after public backlash over her handling of the Epstein files review.
Bondi to face Senate grilling over political pressure in DOJ
Attorney General Pam Bondi is set to face lawmakers at a 9am ET congressional hearing Tuesday.
Democrats are expected to grill Bondi about politically charged investigations and mass firings and resignations of experienced prosecutors
Republicans are likely to laud the Justice Department’s efforts to confront violent crime and reverse Biden-era priorities.
It is Bondi’s first appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee since her confirmation hearing in January where she pledged to not play politics with the Justice Department.
CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins has been left stunned by Donald Trump after the president said that he would consider pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell.
Trump to meet with Canadian PM today
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
Carney shared a video of his arrival in Washington on social media.
‘Arrived in Washington. We’re here to keep building a new economic and security relationship with the United States — one that empowers our workers and businesses with greater certainty and new opportunities,’ he said.
US enters day 7 of government shutdown
The widespread shutdown in Washington entered its seventh day on Tuesday after the Senate rejected another House bill, keeping Trump at odds with Democrats as he seeks to reopen the government.
The House-passed bill was rejected Monday night, getting only 52 of the 60 needed votes to be sent to Donald Trump’s desk.
Ex-DOJ staffers accuse Pam Bondi of weaponizing the department
Nearly 300 former DOJ employees published a letter accusing the Trump administration of weaponizing the department on Monday.
In the letter, the ex-staffers claim they left the department ‘because of actions taken by this administration.’
They argued that the DOJ is failing ‘to uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and to protect civil rights’ on all three fronts.
‘The Justice Department cannot uphold the rule of law when it carries out the President’s retribution campaign and protects his allies,’ the letter said.
‘It also cannot keep our country safe when it ousts FBI employees, prosecutors, national security experts, and ATF officials.
‘And it cannot protect civil rights when it drives out 75 percent of attorneys from the Civil Rights Division and refuses to enforce the nation’s civil rights laws as Congress intended, using them instead as a cudgel against marginalized groups.’
The letter was published ahead of Attorney General Pam Bondi’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee scheduled for today.
She is expected to face a grilling over growing questions about political influence in the Justice Department.
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