Republicans have asked Bondi on the FBI allegedly spying on GOP senators; Democrats have focused on what they describe as the politicization of the DOJ.
Bondi Refuses to Discuss Legal Advice Surrounding Strikes on Alleged Venezuelan Drug Boats
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) raised concerns about the strikes on Venezuelan boats allegedly carrying drugs and cartel members in the Caribbean.
“Congress has never authorized such a use of military force, and it’s unclear to me how the administration has concluded that these strikes are legal,” Coons said.
He added that “due process is the cornerstone of our Constitution” and that he was “deeply concerned about the authority our president seems to be asserting to summarily kill people suspected of criminal activity outside the law.”
When Coons asked how Attorney General Pam Bondi concluded that the strikes were legal, she said: “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 on this matter.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth defended the strikes, stating that the government has “every authorization needed.”
He added that “if you’re in our hemisphere, if you’re in the Caribbean, if you’re north of Venezuela and you want to traffic drugs to the United States, you are a legitimate target of the United States military.”
By Sam Dorman
Bondi Declines to Discuss Firing of DOJ Officials
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) asked Attorney General Pam Bondi about the Department of Justice firing two senior attorneys in the Eastern District of Virginia last week, including the department’s national security prosecutor, Michael Ben’Ary.
“It is reported that his firing came following criticism from a right-wing social media commentator who wrote, ‘One can only assume he was part of the internal resistance in the Comey indictment.’ In fact, he did not work on the Comey case. Instead, he was working on pursuing justice for service members killed in Afghanistan,” Klobuchar said.
“How does firing a 20-year national security prosecutor enhance public safety?”
Bondi responded that she was “not going to discuss personnel decisions.”
“But the personnel issue that I’m having right now is that all of my agents, all of my lawyers, are working, my agents are on the street working without a paycheck because your party voted to shut down the federal government,” Bondi added.
By Jacob Burg
DC Mayor Bowser Is Incredible Partner on Law Enforcement, Bondi Says
Attorney General Pam Bondi praised District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser’s cooperation with the Trump administration in fighting the city’s crime problem.
“We’ve been working hand-in-hand right here in D.C. with Mayor Bowser,” Bondi said. “She has been an incredible partner at making D.C. safe again.”
Bondi added that there have been 3,156 arrests, 294 illegal guns seized, an 87 percent drop in carjackings, and a 45 percent decrease in violent crime in Washington.
“The numbers speak for themselves,” Bondi said.
The Trump administration deployed the National Guard to Washington in August and has maintained a presence in the capital since then. While some legal dispute has erupted over the National Guard’s presence there, Bowser has generally cooperated with the administration’s efforts.
Bondi’s comments came in response to Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) suggesting there was a “stark contrast” between how Washington had welcomed federal law enforcement and what has happened in places such as Chicago.
“I just don’t understand how elected officials who are sworn to uphold the law and the Constitution of the United States could take the position that ‘no, we don’t want a safer community in our major cities that have a high level of crime like Chicago,’” Cornyn said.
By Sam Dorman
FBI Surveilled 8 GOP Members of Congress, Document Shows
The FBI surveilled Republican senators as part of its Arctic Frost investigation, a newly disclosed document shows.
FBI agents carried out surveillance on the cell phones of Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), according to the document, which was made public by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Oct. 6. They obtained information known as toll records.
Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) was also surveilled.
Immigration Enforcement in Chicago
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) asked whether anyone knew how many illegal immigrants were in Chicago.
“I do, countless,” Attorney General Pam Bondi replied.
She added that “there have been multiple [illegal immigrants] and we have made multiple arrests, of course involving violent gangs in Chicago, throughout Illinois.”
Their exchange came as the Trump administration announced its intention to send National Guard troops to the city.
Graham asked whether Chicago was a “sanctuary city,” to which Bondi responded that the city wasn’t cooperating with federal law enforcement.
“I wish Senator Durbin would condemn the [Illinois] governor,” Bondi said, referring to the Democratic senator from Illinois.
Graham then criticized sanctuary cities for “making it difficult for the rest of us” by encouraging illegal immigration.
According to Bondi, the administration saw a “1,000-percent increase” in violent attacks against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers since President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.
By Sam Dorman
Durbin Questions Bondi Over Communications With White House
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) questioned Attorney General Pam Bondi over whether she consulted with the White House before the Trump administration deployed the National Guard to multiple U.S. cities.
“I am not going to discuss any internal conversations with the White House,” Bondi replied.
Durbin then asked the attorney general what the administration’s rationale was for transferring the Texas National Guard to his home state of Illinois.
Bondi pivoted to the ongoing government shutdown and suggested that Durbin’s votes against the GOP funding bill resulted in law enforcement officers not being paid.
“If you’re not going to protect your citizens, President Trump will,” Bondi said.
Durbin said Bondi’s responses were characteristic of 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 personal attack. I think it’s a legitimate question. It’s my responsibility,” Durbin said.
“That’s an indication, I’m afraid, where we are politically in this place.”
By Jacob Burg
Bondi Calls Operation Arctic Frost Abuse of Power
Attorney General Pam Bondi sharply criticized “Operation Arctic Frost,” which Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Mo.) described as an attempt to spy on Republican senators. According to Grassley, it also served as a basis for former special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution of President Donald Trump.
During her testimony, Bondi described Arctic Frost as “an unconstitutional, undemocratic abuse of power.”
She added that “during Arctic Frost, the FBI also placed 92 linked Republican individuals and Republican groups, such as Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point, on their list.”
“This is the kind of conduct that shattered the American people’s faith in our government,” Bondi said.
Bondi also pledged to work with FBI Director Kash Patel on the issue, but said there was limited information she could disclose at the time.
By Sam Dorman
Bondi Highlights Crime Enforcement in Opening Address
In her opening statement on Oct. 7, Attorney General Pam Bondi touted the Trump administration’s crime enforcement efforts at the Department of Justice (DOJ), the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Bondi said federal surges led to more than 3,800 arrests in Washington and 365 illegal gun seizures in Memphis.
“The FBI just conducted a months-long operation called Summer Heat, which resulted in over 8,600 arrests from June to September, more than 6,500 arrests fell under the FBI violent crime and gang program,” Bondi said.
She added that the DEA has seized nearly $470 million in criminal assets, and federal marshals have arrested more than 51,000 fugitives nationwide since President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
“Under the leadership of acting director Dan Driscoll, ATF has taken more than 23,000 illegal guns off our streets. 3,400 of those guns have been linked to trafficking between the US and Mexico,” Bondi said.
By Jacob Burg
What’s Happening Today
Attorney General Pam Bondi will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee at 9 a.m. ET. Democrats are expected to ask Bondi about what they perceive to be the weaponization of the Department of Justice to target President Donald Trump’s political adversaries, including the prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey. The Trump administration and Republicans allege that the department was weaponized under the Biden presidency.At 11:30 a.m. ET, Trump will meet with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House to discuss trade and tariffs.
