Ted Cruz Urges DOJ to ‘Follow The Damn Law’ in Bondi Hearing

Ted Cruz Urges DOJ to ‘Follow The Damn Law’ in Bondi Hearing

Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz took part in questioning President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Attorney General, Pam Bondi, making it clear what he expects from the Department of Justice moving forward.

“I don’t want a Republican Department of Justice. I don’t want a Democrat Department of Justice. I want a Department of Justice that follows the damn law,” Cruz stated emphatically to Bondi, who previously served as Florida’s attorney general.

His approach stood in sharp contrast to Democratic senators, whose inquiries took a more confrontational tone. However, Bondi appeared well-prepared for the scrutiny.

Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse pressed her on concerns regarding the potential “weaponization” of the DOJ under the new administration. In response, Bondi did not hold back, shifting the focus to actions taken against Trump.

“Under what circumstances will you prosecute journalists for what they write?” Whitehouse asked.

“I believe in the freedom of speech. Only if anyone commits a crime. It’s pretty basic, Senator, with anything, with any victim, and this goes back to my entire career for 18 years as a prosecutor and then eight years as Florida’s Attorney General. You find the facts of the case, you apply the law in good faith, and you treat everyone fairly,” Bondi replied.

Whitehouse then followed up, saying, “And it would not be appropriate for a prosecutor to start with a name and look for a crime. It’s the prosecutor’s job to start with a crime and look for a name, correct?”

“Senator, I think that is the whole problem with the weaponization that we’ve seen over the last four years and what’s been happening to Donald Trump. They targeted Donald Trump. They went after him. It actually started back in 2016. They targeted his campaign. They launched countless investigations against him,” she asserted.

She went on to assure the committee, “That will not be the case if I am Attorney General. I will not politicize that office. I will not target people simply because of their political affiliation. Justice will be administered evenhandedly throughout this country. Senator, we’ve got to bring this country back together. We’ve got to move forward, or we’re going to lose our country.”

Whitehouse expressed his concerns, saying, “I think the concern is that weaponization of the Justice Department may well occur under your tenure, and we want to make sure that that’s not the case—that you remain independent, you remain able to and willing to tell the President no when that’s necessary to protect the Constitution and the integrity of the Department. So that’s where I am asking these questions.”

He further questioned her about the longstanding contacts policy governing communication between the DOJ and the White House, a policy that dates back to the Clinton administration. “In your role as Attorney General, if you are confirmed, would you maintain, defend, and enforce that long-standing contacts policy?” Whitehouse asked.

“Senator, yes, I will meet with White House counsel, and I will meet with the appropriate officials and follow the contacts policy,” Bondi affirmed.

In her opening remarks, Bondi pledged to put an end to what she described as the DOJ’s politicization.

“Lastly and most importantly, if confirmed, I will fight every day to restore confidence and integrity to the Department of Justice and each of its components — the partisanship, the weaponization — will be gone. America will have one tier of justice for all,” she declared.

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