Bondi Faces Capitol Hill Over DOJ Shifts

Attorney General Pam Bondi appears before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, where lawmakers are set to probe her decade‑long changes at the Justice Department. Her testimony comes a year into her term, a period marked by sweeping departures from traditional DOJ practices. Bondi has ordered the dismissal of career prosecutors and FBI staff who handled Capitol riot cases or investigations into former President Trump. She has also removed the department’s public corruption unit and seen a wave of resignations from the Civil Rights Division. Some U. S. attorney offices, including one in Minnesota, have lost key personnel under her leadership. During public events, Bondi claims the DOJ has tackled cartels, violent crime, and strengthened immigration enforcement. She says she is ending what she calls the department’s “weaponization” against Trump and conservatives. Opponents point to recent prosecutions of Democratic lawmakers and even President Biden’s son Hunter as evidence that the department has been politicized.For years, the DOJ maintained a level of independence from the White House. Critics argue that Bondi’s tenure has eroded this autonomy, turning the department into a tool for Trump’s retribution. Last year, Trump urged Bondi to target former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Acting U. S. attorneys, hand‑picked by Trump, secured indictments against both men, overriding career prosecutors who doubted the evidence. Both cases were later dismissed by a federal judge who ruled the appointments unlawful, and the DOJ is appealing. Other high‑profile figures—Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, California Senator Adam Schiff, and former Obama intelligence officials James Clapper and John Brennan—have also faced DOJ scrutiny. Despite backlash from DOJ veterans and legal experts, Bondi remains supported by Trump publicly and by many Republican lawmakers. Bondi has faced criticism from some Republicans over her handling of Jeffrey Epstein’s files. The DOJ missed the legal deadline to release all documents and heavily redacted many records, raising concerns about transparency. The hearing will be broadcast live at 10 a. m. ET. Observers expect Bondi to defend her actions and outline what she views as major accomplishments for the department.