Durbin Delivers Opening Statement In Senate Judiciary Committee Oversight Hearing With Attorney General Bondi

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement In Senate Judiciary Committee Oversight Hearing With Attorney General Bondi

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement at a Senate Judiciary Oversight Committee hearing with Attorney General (AG) Pam Bondi. Durbin's opening statement condemned the weaponization of the Department of Justice (DOJ) under President Trump and AG Bondi, highlighted the unprecedented purge of senior law enforcement officials, commented on Ms. Bondi's many conflicts of interests as a former lobbyist, criticized the Department's role in the President's surge of troops and federal agents to Chicago, and examined how she mishandled the release of the Epstein files.

Key Quotes:

"These hearings have never been more important as President Trump turns the full force of the federal government on Chicago and other American cities. The assault on the city I am proud to represent is just one example of how President Trump and Attorney General Bondi shut down justice at the Department of Justice even before the President's party controlling the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives shut down the government."

"The Attorney General has systemically weaponized our nation's preeminent law enforcement agency to protect President Trump and his allies and attack his opponents and sadly the American people. You have purged hundreds of senior career officials since you first appeared before us. These men and women dedicated their careers to protecting the American people. As a result, the Department has lost literally thousands of years of law-enforcement expertise ... You [have] disbanded the FBI's Foreign Influence Task Force and the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, despite the growing threat of foreign election interference and the drastic rise in cryptocurrency crimes."

"You have forced out almost 75 percent of the Civil Rights Division's career attorneys while hate crimes are on the rise; you fired more than 100 immigration judges while the immigration case backlog is more than three million; [and] you cut the Public Integrity Section from 30 prosecutors to two while political corruption skyrockets."

"During your confirmation hearing, I asked you about your many potential conflicts of interest as a former lobbyist, and you responded that you 'would consult with the career ethics officials within the Department and make the appropriate decision.' But the Trump Justice Department then removed these career ethics officials-and put in their place inexperienced political appointees beholden to the President and you. You have effectively shut down the Office of Professional Responsibility, which investigates misconduct by DOJ attorneys."

"After President Trump pardoned nearly 1,600 January 6 insurrectionists, including more than 600 charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, DOJ is arguing in court that these pardons provide immunity for wholly unrelated crimes, in multiple cases. Jared Wise was filmed on January 6 encouraging his fellow rioters attacking Metropolitan Police Department officers to… 'kill 'em'. What happened to Mr. Wise? He was hired by you as a senior advisor."

"In February, you said the Epstein client list was, 'sitting on my desk right now to review.' Eight months later, you still haven't produced these files and a credible whistleblower told my office that FBI agents were directed to flag any records in which President Trump was mentioned."

"Attorney General Bondi shut down the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force, or OCDETF, which has dismantled thousands of criminal organizations. And, you have diverted thousands of FBI, DEA, and ATF agents and DOJ prosecutors from their critical missions to carry out the President's mass deportation agenda. Not surprisingly, federal drug prosecutions have dropped to the lowest level in decades."

"Instead of taking common-sense steps that have proven to help reduce crime, Attorney General [Bondi] is focused on helping President Trump play a strongman on TV. He has illegally deployed troops to Chicago and other American cities-and has threatened to send more. The Justice Department defends the dubious legal basis for these deployments and diverts DOJ personnel and their components to assist with these efforts."

"These deployments basically only target cities with Democratic leaders, ignoring Republican-led cities with high crime rates and making clear that this is for political theater-not public safety."

"One particularly chaotic raid in Chicago occurred last week, aided by the FBI and ATF, which you supervise. In the middle of the night, federal agents pulled women and children out of their beds, destroyed their apartments, and zip-tied children and others and detained immigrants and U.S. citizens alike for hours in vans."

"When one witness complained, an agent laughed at her and said, 'F--- them kids.' On Friday, a federal judge, appointed by President Trump, held that deploying the National Guard in Portland is illegal. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller accused her of 'legal insurrection.' At a time of rising threats to federal judges, this is inexcusable."

"Chicago is not the enemy. Our fellow Americans are not the enemy. It is abhorrent for the President, who is supposed to represent all Americans regardless of political party, to describe anyone who disagrees with him in this manner."

"To my Republican colleagues who claim the previous Administration weaponized DOJ, President Biden retained President Trump's FBI Director Christoper Wray, who President Trump then fired. President Biden never directed his Attorney General to prosecute his political opponents. President Biden never fired his own political appointees for refusing to prosecute his targets. What has taken place since January 20, 2025, would make even President Nixon recoil."

"This is your legacy, Attorney General Bondi. In eight short months, you have fundamentally transformed the Justice Department and left an enormous stain on American history. It will take decades to recover."

Video of Durbin's opening statement is available here.

Audio of Durbin's opening statement is available here.

Footage of Durbin's opening statement is available herefor TV Stations.

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