The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12-10 along party lines Wednesday to advance Pam Bondi’s nomination to be attorney general to the full Senate.

Committee Chair Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, opened the hearing by addressing criticism from Democrats, who argue that Bondi—a former Florida attorney general—is an election denier with deep ties to former President Donald Trump that could create conflicts of interest.

"There’s nothing wrong about President Trump appointing someone who has fiercely defended him to a high position," Grassley said. "Ms. Bondi publicly supports President Trump, just like 77 million Americans who voted him back into office in November."

Grassley further contended that Bondi’s testimony was "inconsistent with" claims that she is an election denier.

Bondi’s Background and Connections to Trump

Bondi previously served on Trump’s Make America Great Again political action committee, worked on his legal team during his first impeachment, and campaigned for him in 2016, 2020, and 2024.

During her confirmation hearing, she repeatedly deflected questions about the 2020 election, stating only that President Joe Biden had been sworn in.

Her lobbying work at Ballard Partners also came under scrutiny. However, Grassley emphasized that she had disclosed all of her clients and had been "more transparent than other recent nominees."

Bondi’s past lobbying clients include:

• Uber Technologies Inc.
• Amazon.com
• Major League Baseball
• The Embassy of Qatar
• Private prison company GEO Group Inc.

Support and Opposition in the Senate

Newly sworn-in Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., who succeeded Bondi as Florida’s attorney general, defended her record, highlighting her leadership on the opioid crisis, the Gulf oil spill, and human trafficking.

Meanwhile, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the committee’s ranking member, criticized Bondi’s nomination, arguing that the next attorney general faces immense challenges due to what he called President Trump’s disruption of the Justice Department. He cited the firing of career DOJ prosecutors and the appointment of Ed Martin, a supporter of the “Stop the Steal” movement, as interim U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C.

"Bondi is one of four personal lawyers of President Trump already selected for top positions at the Department of Justice," Durbin said. "She has echoed President Trump's calls for exacting revenge on political appointments and undermined our democracy by joining his efforts to overturn the 2020 election."

Despite strong Democratic opposition, Bondi’s nomination now moves to the full Senate, where she is expected to be confirmed.