Democratic Senator Chris Coons (Del.) mentioned after Wednesday’s listening to on President-elect Trump’s lawyer basic choose Pam Bondi he’ll presently vote no, however he needs “to be fair.”
Coons joined CNN’s “The Source” Wednesday, the place he was requested in regards to the questions posed to Bondi earlier within the day. He mentioned Bondi answered his first two questions sufficiently, however the third response made him query her candidacy.
“It was the third question, where I said, ‘What would you do if ordered to do something illegal or unethical?’” Coons mentioned. “She said, ‘That’s a hypothetical I won’t answer it.’”
Coons mentioned he needed to inform Bondi that it’s not hypothetical as a result of Trump might ask her to do this.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins requested the senator if Bondi’s response to that query meant he wouldn’t vote in favor of her affirmation.
“I’m a no right now, but … I’m going to go back and review the transcript,” he replied. “I am trying to be fair, and I’m trying to give her a reasonable shot at earning my vote, but I was not satisfied by the end of today’s hearing.”
Bondi was grilled by Senators on Wednesday as she confronted the take a look at to turn out to be Trump’s lawyer basic. She was the second alternative, a extra conventional choose, after former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) withdrew his identify from consideration amid a scathing report.
There’s concern amongst Democrats that whoever Trump selected to guide the Justice Division, they’d flip the company right into a department to retaliate in opposition to the president-elect’s enemies.
Democrats used their time Wednesday to query Bondi over what they see as the most important concern: whether or not she is going to push again on Trump’s requests to focus on his political foes.
Bondi slammed the a number of investigations into Trump as proof that the Justice Division has been weaponized for political acquire, although Democrats vow that was by no means the case.
Coons mentioned on CNN that it’s a “key guardrail” that the Division of Justice and the FBI stay impartial. He mentioned the way in which Bondi didn’t explicitly reply his third query raises considerations.
“For me, that’s a critical question, will she stand up if the situation calls on it and prove the independence of the Department of Justice is more important than loyalty to a candidate she strongly supported?” Coons mentioned.
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