Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi promised the Senate Judiciary Committee that she won’t use her power to pursue a so-called “enemies list,” even as she defended FBI Director nominee Kash Patel’s vow to target a list of people he views as “government gangsters.”
“There will never be an enemies list within the Department of Justice,” Bondi said under questioning from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).
Asked to defend a comment she made on Fox News last year declaring that “the prosecutors will be prosecuted” and “the investigators will be investigated,” Bondi noted Wednesday that she also referred in that interview to focusing on “bad” prosecutors.
“We all take an oath to uphold the law…So, will everyone will be held to an equal, fair system of justice if I am the next attorney general? Absolutely,” Bondi said forcefully. “I will not target people simply because of their political affiliation. Justice will be administered evenhandedly throughout this country.”
Bondi also promised to maintain a policy limiting contacts between the Justice Department and the White House to preserve the independence of law enforcement investigations and decisions.
“I will meet with White House counsel and meet with the appropriate officials and follow the contacts policy,” Bondi said. “I believe that the Justice Department must be independent and must act independently….Politics will not play a part.”
Bondi also vigorously defended Patel, Trump’s FBI pick, saying he can be fair and has “great experience.” “I believe that Kash is the right person at this time for this job,” she said.
