By Carol Lucas
Pompous! Arrogant! Haughty! Overbearing! Egotistical!
Shall I continue?
All of these, some simply passing thoughts, others uttered aloud, along with additional words not fit for the delicate ears of some of my dear readers, cannon balled through my head as I watched the cameras roll on Pam Bondi’s amateurish drama on Wednesday, Feb. 11.
Before I continue, let me establish what constitutes the duties of the Attorney General. In doing some research, I was able to find a list sufficiently abbreviated for this column.
To uphold justice and enforce federal laws, the duties of the U.S. Attorney General include:
- — Overseeing the Department of Justice and its various divisions. — Representing the United States in legal matters before the Supreme Court. — Enforcing federal laws, including civil rights and antitrust laws. — Advising the President and federal agencies on legal issues. — Managing federal prosecutors and overseeing criminal investigations.
And last, which to my thinking should be first: Ensuring fair and impartial administration of justice across the country.
I could write an entire column about these six duties and how Ms. Bondi has failed on so many levels, but that is fodder for another day.
Instead, I am choosing to address Feb. 11, a day that will surely be her own “day of infamy!”
To say the hearing was contentious would be a gross understatement. Sadly enough, it was also an open display of just how corrupt Bondi is as was evidenced by the large folder she brought with her, one that contained information on what each committee member had accessed from the Epstein files. This gave her a handle on what questions she might expect from each member, and she referenced it constantly.
I compare this to the cheat sheet a kid would bring to a test, except the kid would use it surreptitiously. For her it was an overt resource from which to lob insults to each member who had the temerity to question her role in covering up the Epstein files.
If you watched this hearing with any level of objectivity, you have to admit that the attorney general of the United States came to this event with one objective, and that was to defend the president, regardless of whom she might offend.
Her responses included such childish statements as, “You washed-up loser lawyer. You’re not even a lawyer.” Bondi said this to Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a lawyer and former constitutional law professor.
After Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, asked about the Epstein files, Bondi said he had “Trump derangement syndrome” and called him “a failed politician.”
Under questioning from Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), Bondi said, “You’re about as good of a lawyer today as you were when you tried to impeach President Trump in 2016.”
Perhaps this was best addressed by Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) when he said, “You do a Jekyll and Hyde kind of routine around here,” adding when Bondi asked for clarification, “Well, it means you’re nice to the Republicans and you turn like Hyde on Democrats.”
Interesting that he had to explain the concept.
Perhaps the most reprehensible act on the part of the “impartial” DOJ head was her failure to even look at the survivors of the Epstein scandal.
It was Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) who asked her to turn around and address the 11 victims who said they had not met with the department and “apologize for what your Department of Justice has put them through.”
The request ignited a shouting match between the two women, as Bondi pushed back and replied that she wasn’t going “to get in the gutter with these theatrics,” while Jayapal argued Bondi was ignoring victims.
At the end of the exchange, Bondi muttered, “Unprofessional.” Indeed, Ms. Bondi, indeed! As you perform for an audience of one.
It is Mary Trump who observed, “Because Pam Bondi is the most corrupt and depraved Attorney General in American history, she doesn’t seem to care that it’s her job to bring rapists of girls and young women to justice, not be a cheerleader for the Stock Market.”
Kudos, Mary! No digressions necessary.
Carol Lucas is a retired high school teacher and a Lady’s Island resident. She is the author of the recently published “A Breath Away: One Woman’s Journey Through Widowhood.”