Attorney General Rejects Accusations, Cites Congresswoman’s Past Gaffes
A House Appropriations Committee hearing on Monday erupted in a contentious exchange between Attorney General Pam Bondi and Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Madeleine Dean, as Dean repeatedly attempted to grill Bondi on alleged ethics violations and her communications with President Donald Trump.
The heated back-and-forth saw Bondi firmly rebuffing Dean’s inquiries, accusing the congresswoman of putting words in her mouth and highlighting Dean’s past public missteps.
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The core of Dean’s questioning revolved around Bondi’s alleged internal conversations with President Trump regarding the pardons of approximately 1,500 individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol incident.
Bondi, however, remained resolute in her refusal to disclose any private discussions with the former president.
“I am never going to talk about conversations, advice in any way. I’m never going to talk about discussions I have had or not had, if I can answer, with the president of the United States,” Bondi stated.
When Dean pressed, asking if Bondi had given Trump advice, the Attorney General reiterated, “I am not going to discuss any conversations.”
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Dean’s persistence led to a testy exchange.
After Bondi’s refusal to elaborate, Dean interjected, “That’s a no.” Bondi swiftly retorted, “You just put words in my mouth. I will not discuss conversations I’ve had with the President of the United States. You asked me a question and you asked me to answer.”
The confrontation escalated when Dean, after claiming Bondi had not answered her question and requesting her time be reclaimed, pivoted to accusing Bondi of “corruption” related to her past registration as a foreign lobbyist.
Dean specifically referenced Bondi’s work for the Embassy of Qatar.
Bondi forcefully defended her actions, clarifying her role: “I assume you’re talking about when I represented the country of Qatar for a very short time, hold on, hold on, for anti-human trafficking for the World Cup. Anti-human trafficking for the World Cup.”
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Bondi then turned the tables on Dean, bringing up the congresswoman’s July 2024 remarks to PBS News where she expressed “unapologetically supportive” views of then-President Joe Biden’s capacity to serve another term, despite widespread concerns about his debate performance and reported cognitive issues.
“You can’t put words in my mouth. You want to talk about incompetence, you’re the one who said [former President] Joe Biden on PBS was competent! You had to retract those words. So don’t talk to me, don’t insult me publicly,” Bondi fired back.
Dean’s attempts to link Bondi to Trump’s acceptance of a jet from Qatar also met with a firm denial. Bondi stated, “I will not discuss any advice that my Office of Legal Counsel gives to the president of the United States on any matter… And talking about unprofessional, you say the president wanted the jet because it’s pretty? Come on. This is a congressional hearing.”
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The hearing chairman, Republican Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, intervened, urging Dean to allow Bondi to answer as the congresswoman continued to raise concerns, including about Trump’s “meme coin.”
Bondi, visibly aggravated, also pointed to the issue of child sex trafficking occurring in Dean’s home state.
Throughout the hearing, Attorney General Pam Bondi consistently maintained that she has abided by all ethical guidelines.
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