Sen. Chris Coons D-Del. expressed hesitancy about supporting Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump’s nominee for Attorney General, after a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
Coons indicated that he was seeking clarity from Bondi on her commitment to protecting the Department of Justice DOJ from interference by the White House.
Specifically, Coons wanted assurance that Bondi would support career DOJ officials in making independent decisions, even in cases where the White House might intervene.
While Bondi gave satisfactory answers on topics such as Trump’s ability to run for a third term and her commitment to serve the DOJ, Coons was not fully convinced by her responses regarding the independence of the DOJ.
Coons noted that while Bondi had a positive record on criminal justice reform, combating the opioid epidemic, and fighting human trafficking, he was still reviewing the transcript of the hearing to ensure fairness in his decision.
Despite initially saying he was a “no” on Bondi’s nomination, Coons indicated he was keeping an open mind and would re-evaluate after a thorough review.
His stance on Bondi reflects broader concerns raised by Democrats about the independence of the DOJ under Trump’s influence, with some Republican senators on the panel pushing back against such questioning.
In sum, Coons’ position remains uncertain as he aims to balance fairness with his concerns over DOJ independence.