(Picture by Joe Raedle/Getty)
Pam Bondi, former Florida Legal professional Basic and the type of cartoonish villain who fights Hurricane Katrina victims over their pets, started her affirmation hearings yesterday to function Donald Trump’s Legal professional Basic. After Trump flopped making an attempt to assist Venmo fanatic Matt Gaetz, Bondi is seen as a “cheap” possibility. Even the Washington Publish, which took a tricky stance towards injecting itself into partisan disputes when it tanked an endorsement of Kamala Harris, discovered the wherewithal to endorse Bondi for the Division of Justice put up on the power of her tenure as Florida AG — the place she killed an investigation into the Trump College fraud after Trump purchased her off.
All vibes that bode properly for her affirmation as a result of heaven is aware of her solutions didn’t.
In equity, the America First Coverage Institute the place Bondi ready this temporary (together with former cosplay Legal professional Basic, rest room trade commerce scammer, and soon-to-be NATO Ambassador Matthew Whitaker) advances a Herculean stage of nonsensical authorized claims, so one might say it’s comprehensible if she forgot one. Even when it’s a massively consequential place that she took a mere two months in the past. Jose Pagliery of NOTUS helpfully reminds us of the temporary:
That’s fairly the contradiction.
However let’s assume, arguendo, that Bondi isn’t affected by transient world amnesia and does recall taking this place in entrance of a United States Courtroom of Appeals in November and she or he simply doesn’t care concerning the particular counsel legislation now that Trump isn’t being prosecuted by one.
Or, extra ominously, now that she expects to make use of the particular counsel course of herself to harass Trump’s political enemies.
Avoiding hypotheticals… the final refuge of the scoundrel. Whereas this can be a tactic that couldn’t get a 1L out of a chilly name, DOJ and judicial nominees pull this in Senate affirmation hearings on a regular basis. Within the Trump administration, Republican nominees used this to keep away from answering whether or not or not they supposed to carry again segregation.
However as shady because the “hypothetical” excuse could also be usually, Bondi isn’t being requested about *A* hypothetical, she’s being requested about *HER* hypothetical. She stated it! On TV! Bondi says that “nobody has been prejudged,” however she’s the one who stated “prosecutors shall be prosecuted” which doesn’t depart plenty of wiggle room.
In equity, lots of people who ought to have learn the Fourteenth Modification have began pleading ignorance of the Fourteenth Modification. Like Decide James Ho, who not solely understood the Fourteenth Modification’s birthright citizenship provision however received himself revealed defending it, however now responds with the Mariah Carey “I don’t know her” meme anytime somebody asks about this now that Donald Trump has proposed a mass deportation of individuals born right here.
Not that Bondi didn’t ship her share of Carey moments:
The tape — which price a number of Biglaw legal professionals their jobs — has been performed advert nauseam over the past 4 years. It’s a key piece of proof in an election interference prosecution that Bondi claims to be improper. How can she know if the case is improper if she’s by no means heard the proof? You all know the reply… even when she will’t say it.
And people are simply the solutions she did give. However, like jazz, it’s all concerning the notes you don’t play.
Bondi indignantly declares she doesn’t have to reply the Committee’s inquiries to get confirmed, which might be true given the place we’re proper now. That stated, the query used to have a sure Ghostbusters high quality in that any time a Senator requested “are you going to do one thing unlawful for the president?” you say NO. That reply appears to be a disqualifying one on this administration.
However the Washington Publish is happy, so there’s that.
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Regulation and co-host of Pondering Like A Lawyer. Be at liberty to e-mail any suggestions, questions, or feedback. Comply with him on Twitter or Bluesky when you’re considering legislation, politics, and a wholesome dose of faculty sports activities information. Joe additionally serves as a Managing Director at RPN Government Search.
