Grassley: Trump’s new pick for attorney general ‘impressive’, ‘well-qualified’

Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley says President-elect Donald Trump’s new pick for U.S. Attorney General is “impressive” and “well-qualified.”

Grassley, the incoming chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, met Monday with Pam Bondi, the former Florida Attorney General and Trump’s pick to lead the Justice Department.

The 59-year-old Trump ally was part of a team of lawyers that defended the then-president during his first Senate impeachment trial, where he was accused — but not convicted — of attempting to coerce Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate then-former Vice President Joe Biden, his political rival.

Bondi also was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his New York hush-money criminal trial that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. Trump’s sentencing in the case is on hold. A New York judge last month postponed it, giving Trump’s lawyers time to seek a dismissal, and could choose to freeze the case for four years while Trump holds office.

Bondi, who served as Florida Attorney General from 2011 to 2019, also was involved in efforts to delegitimize the results of the 2020 presidential election that Trump lost to Biden, falsely claiming that Trump had “won Pennsylvania” at a news conference in Philadelphia and claiming voter fraud, according to reporting by the Tampa Bay Times.

She also served on a federal commission during Trump’s first term focused on combating drug addiction and the opioid crisis.

Trump named Bondi as his nominee to serve as the country’s top federal law enforcement officer after his first choice, Republican former Florida U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, withdrew from consideration amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations. Gaetz has vehemently denied the allegations.

“Pam Bondi is a well-qualified nominee with an impressive legal career, including eight years as Attorney General of the State of Florida and nearly two decades spent as a prosecutor,” Grassley said in a statement Monday after meeting with Bondi in his Senate office. “Bondi is prepared to refocus the Justice Department (DOJ)’s attention where it ought to be: on enforcing the law and protecting Americans’ safety.”

Trump’s pick of Bondi comes as critics fear he will use the Justice Department to prosecute his political enemies.

“For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans — Not anymore,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.”

Grassley, 91, who has been a staunch advocate of federal whistleblowers and government oversight, said “I’ve found that the Justice Department is often the first to stand in Congress’ way when it’s seeking answers.

“It’s time the DOJ prioritize transparency and recommit itself to blind justice, unlike what we’ve seen over the last four years,” he said in a statement. “To achieve this, Bondi will need to show unfailing support for whistleblowers, demonstrate respect for the DOJ Office of Inspector General’s independent oversight and commit to working with Congress to shed light on the Biden administration’s weaponization of the DOJ.”

Current U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has defended the department’s integrity and impartiality against claims of politicization. Trump was indicted in two criminal cases by special counsel Jack Smith, whom Garland brought in from outside the department to run the investigations.

Grassley said the Senate Judiciary Committee “will move swiftly” to consider Bondi’s nomination when the 119th Congress convenes in January.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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