WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned U.S. Attorney General Nominee Pamela Bondi on President-elect Trump’s threats against political opponents. Ms. Bondi committed to Welch that at the Department of Justice, under her leadership, “No one will be prosecuted, investigated because they are a political opponent.” 

Watch the exchange between Senator Welch and Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump’s pick to be Attorney General:  

Read selections of the exchange below: 

Welch: “I do have some concerns, not so much about you, but what President Trump has said about a desire—on his part—to go after what he considers to be political adversaries. His own words, for instance, says that if he’s elected he’d seek to appoint a special prosecutor to go after Joe Biden. I assume you’ve had no discussion with President-elect Trump about that?” 

Bondi: “Absolutely not, nor against Senator Schiff.” 

Welch: “My colleague, Senator Schiff, who I think did an incredibly good job—President Trump had different views about that where he said on a number of occasions that everybody on the January 6 committee should be prosecuted for their lies and treason. No discussion about that? And Liz Cheney also, he said that she should be prosecuted for lies and treason as well.”   

Bondi: “No, Senator…We have had no discussions about Liz Cheney.” 

Welch: “You’ve satisfied me that this is not an agenda you have. President Trump has satisfied me that when he says things that are pretty provocative, he’s often serious. Now, Senator Cruz wants what I want and that is to have a Justice Department that is not going after people on the basis of them being political opponents. And my understanding, in listening to your answers to questions along this line, is that you have no intention—no intention of pursuing people on the basis of them being a political opponent.”  

Bondi: “No one will be prosecuted, investigated because they are a political opponent. That’s what we’ve seen for the last four years in this administration. People will be prosecuted based on the facts, and the law, and fairly, Senator.” 

Welch: “Alright, that’s good. I disagree about the characterization of the past four years. But we don’t have to discuss that with the assurance that the next four years there will be no effort on the part of the Justice Department to pursue political adversaries—right?” 

Bondi: “Every case will be done on a case-by-case basis. No one should be prosecuted for political purposes. Absolutely not.” 

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