In a fiery Senate confirmation hearing for incoming Attorney General Pam Bondi, Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) didn’t hold back in his critique of the Department of Justice under outgoing Attorney General Merrick Garland. The Louisiana Republican urged Bondi to restore integrity within the DOJ by rooting out corruption and elevating those committed to justice.
Kennedy’s remarks highlighted a stark reality many conservatives have voiced: the DOJ has been weaponized under the Biden administration, with political bias eroding public trust in America’s justice system.
Kennedy struck a balanced tone, acknowledging that not all within the DOJ have been compromised. “Can we agree that there’s some really, really good men and women at the Department of Justice?” he asked Bondi. She agreed, commending the many law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line daily.
Citing the arrests of high-profile criminals like Sam Bankman-Fried and Michael Avenatti, Kennedy underscored that the DOJ is still capable of doing good work. But his praise came with a caveat: “Can we agree, though, that there, there have been, and maybe today, some bad people at the Department of Justice?” Bondi concurred, signaling her intent to address these issues.
Kennedy didn’t mince words when addressing what he sees as the DOJ’s troubling trajectory under Garland. He accused Garland of using “dubious facts and untested legal theories” to prosecute former President Donald Trump, framing it as a politically motivated attack.
“He decided to do it after the former president of the United States had announced that he was going to run against Attorney General Garland’s boss, didn’t he?” Kennedy said, pointing to the unprecedented nature of prosecuting a political opponent.
Kennedy warned that such actions set a dangerous precedent. “I bet you right now there’s some prosecutor in a particular state thinking about, well, maybe I ought to file criminal charges against President Biden’s inner circle for conspiring to conceal his mental decline,” he said. “That’s the road we’re headed down.”
The senator urged Bondi to take decisive action in her new role. “You’ve got to fix it,” he told her, outlining a clear mandate: identify the bad actors within the DOJ and remove them while elevating those who serve with integrity. He emphasized that these efforts must be grounded in “facts and evidence and fairness.”
Kennedy’s call for reform resonated with conservatives who have long felt the DOJ has been compromised by political bias. His remarks set the tone for Bondi’s tenure, highlighting the urgent need for a justice system that serves the American people rather than partisan interests.
As the DOJ faces mounting scrutiny, Bondi’s confirmation represents a pivotal moment. Conservatives hope she will deliver on Kennedy’s vision of a department that upholds the rule of law, free from political interference.
