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Bondi to face questions over Trump's pledge to seek

retribution

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Democrats expected to ask Bondi how she intends to manage

conflicts of interest

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Former Florida attorney general, Bondi is staunch Trump

defender

(Updates with start of Bondi's testimony, paragraphs 1-11)

By Sarah N. Lynch and Andrew Goudsward

WASHINGTON, Jan 15 (Reuters) -

Donald Trump's choice for attorney general, Pam Bondi, vowed

to end "the partisan weaponization" of the U.S. justice system

if confirmed, echoing the president-elect's assertion that the

prosecutions he faced were politically motivated.

"I will work to restore confidence and integrity to the

Department of Justice - and each of its components," Bondi told

the Senate Judiciary Committee. "Under my watch, the partisan

weaponization of the Department of Justice will end."

Bondi, 59, served as Florida's attorney general from 2011 to

2019, and helped defend Trump during his 2019 impeachment trial

which ended in his acquittal on charges of pressuring Ukraine to

investigate his rival, now-President Joe Biden.

The Republican-majority Senate is evaluating a wave of

cabinet picks, some controversial, ahead of Trump's return to

office on Monday. Lawmakers held a fiery hearing with Trump's

pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, on Tuesday, and are

due on Thursday to hear from his choice for treasury secretary,

Scott Bessent.

Trump has threatened to use the U.S. justice system to seek

revenge against his political enemies when he returns to power.

"President-elect Trump has vowed not just to use the Justice

Department to advance his own political interests, but also to

seek 'retribution' against 'the enemy within,'" the committee's

top Democrat, Senator Dick Durbin, said in a prepared opening

statement.

"I need to know you would tell President Trump 'No' if you

are faced with a choice between your oath to the Constitution

and your loyalty to Mr. Trump."

Bondi pledged to prioritize prosecuting violent crime,

gangs, child sex abusers and drug traffickers, protecting the

country from "terrorists and other foreign threats" and

addressing "the overwhelming crisis at the border."

She added that she also will focus on protecting free

speech, religious freedom and "the right to bear arms," and work

to fix the Federal Bureau of Prisons which she said has suffered

from "years of mismanagement, lack of funding, and low morale."

She was not specific as to how she would accomplish her

goals.

Top committee Republican Senator Chuck Grassley praised

Bondi's experience.

"The Justice Department's infected with political

decision-making, while its leaders refuse to acknowledge that

reality," Grassley said in his prepared opening statement. "Ms.

Bondi, should you be confirmed, the actions you take to change

the Department's course must be for accountability, so that the

conduct I just described never happens again.

PAST, LOBBYING IN SPOTLIGHT

Panel Democrats were expected to question Bondi's history in

office and her work as a lobbyist for Ballard Partners since

2019.

In 2013, while serving as Florida attorney general, Bondi

declined to join with other states to investigate Trump

University shortly after a political action committee supporting

her campaign received a $25,000 donation from the Trump

Foundation.

She denied any connection between the donation and her

decision not to investigate Trump University.

Following Trump's 2020 election defeat, she appeared at

press conferences and on television shows where she echoed some

of Trump's false claims about election fraud.

In a more recent role at the Trump-affiliated America First

Policy Institute, she co-signed two court briefs that supported

efforts by Trump's legal defense team to beat federal and state

criminal charges against him in Florida and New York.

Federal ethics rules generally require government employees

to recuse themselves from participating in matters that could

have a direct financial impact on them and for a period of time

to recuse themselves from working on cases involving parties

with whom they have personal or business relationships.

Bondi's current or former lobbying clients include the

Dominican Republic, Qatar, Zimbabwe's foreign affairs minister

and Kosovo, as well as Amazon.com ( AMZN ), Fidelity, Carnival

North America LLC, Uber Technologies Inc ( UBER ), Major

League Baseball, General Motors ( GM ), The GEO Group Inc ( GEO )

, Alden Torch Financial and the Major County Sheriffs of

America.

Several of the companies, such as Uber ( UBER ), Amazon ( AMZN ), Carnival and

General Motors ( GM ) have been in the crosshairs of various Justice

Department investigations during Biden's administration.

The GEO Group ( GEO ), a private prison company, has some

outstanding contracts with the Justice Department, federal

spending records show. Some of the law enforcement groups Bondi

has lobbied for as recently as 2024 have members whose offices

receive Justice Department grant funds.