Will Pam Bondi, Nominee for Attorney General, Backtrack on Her 'Stolen Election' Claims?
Fact-checking Pam Bondi’s statements on election fraud, political prosecutions, and crime rates during her Senate confirmation hearing.
During a heated Senate confirmation hearing on January 15, Pam Bondi, former Florida Attorney General and nominee for Attorney General under President-elect Donald Trump, faced tough questions regarding her past claims and political stances. Among the key topics were her remarks about the 2020 presidential election, Trump’s political enemies, and crime statistics.
Bondi’s responses stirred controversy, particularly her refusal to retract claims about a "stolen" election and her defense of Trump's actions. In exchanges with Senator Alex Padilla (D-California), Bondi was asked if she would take back her assertion that Trump had won Pennsylvania in 2020, but she declined to answer directly, instead stating, “I’m not going to be bullied” when Padilla demanded a simple "yes or no."
The hearing also marked the second day of confirmation proceedings for Trump’s second-term nominees, with Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) participating separately. Rubio called for the U.S. to reduce reliance on China for its supply chains and criticized President Biden’s decision to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Fact-checking Bondi’s Statements
Bondi’s Claim: Biden’s DOJ Targets Political Opponents When asked if she would prosecute Trump’s political adversaries, Bondi claimed that the Biden administration had used the Justice Department to target its political opponents. “No one will be prosecuted or investigated because they are a political opponent,” she stated, referring to actions she claimed took place during the previous four years.
This echoes a common narrative from Trump, but fact-checks have debunked similar claims. Trump has been charged multiple times, including in federal court and in cases in Manhattan and Georgia. Legal experts assert there’s no evidence suggesting that the Biden administration had any undue influence on the prosecutions, nor was Trump deprived of due process.
Bondi’s Denial of Trump’s 2021 Call with Georgia Officials Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) asked Bondi about Trump’s infamous call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on January 2, 2021, during which Trump asked Raffensperger to "find" enough votes to overturn the results of the election. Bondi, who had not listened to the full conversation, tried to downplay its significance, claiming it was not an explicit request to "find" votes.
However, the transcript and recording of the call clearly show that Trump did, in fact, urge Georgia officials to "find 11,780 votes" to secure a victory. This was part of his broader effort to challenge the 2020 election results, which ultimately favored Joe Biden in Georgia by 11,779 votes.
Bondi's Misleading Claim of a Peaceful Transfer of Power Bondi was also questioned by Durbin on her continued defense of Trump’s false claims regarding the 2020 election. When asked if she would acknowledge Biden’s victory, Bondi dodged the question, later stating there was a “peaceful transfer of power” in 2021.
While Biden was indeed sworn in, Bondi’s claim overlooks the violent events of January 6, 2021, when a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, disrupting the certification of Biden’s victory. The Capitol riot led to over 1,500 federal charges, including assault, obstruction, and unlawful possession of firearms, underscoring the chaos that occurred during the transition.
Bondi's Focus on Crime Rates in California When pressed by Senator Adam Schiff (D-California) about prosecuting Trump’s political enemies, Bondi shifted the focus to crime rates in California. “You know what we should be worried about? The crime rate in California is through the roof,” she said, referencing the state’s higher-than-average robbery rates.
Bondi’s numbers are largely accurate. FBI data from 2023 shows that California’s robbery rate was 87% higher than the national average. However, the state also had lower-than-average rates for homicide and rape, while being above the national average for aggravated assault.
Conclusion Pam Bondi’s Senate confirmation hearing revealed her steadfast defense of Trump’s election falsehoods and her reluctance to directly answer difficult questions. While she denied claims of prosecuting political opponents, her repeated misstatements about the 2020 election and other political matters raised concerns among critics. As she moves forward in her confirmation process, Bondi’s responses will likely continue to be scrutinized, particularly as questions about her views on election integrity and justice remain unresolved.