WASHINGTON, D.C.—Representative Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) made headlines during Attorney General Pam Bondi's testimony this week by refusing to question her and instead using her time to criticize the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) direction.
Rep. Crockett told the House Judiciary Committee she wouldn't bother asking Bondi questions because the attorney general "has no intentions of answering questions." Instead, Crockett posed basic ethical questions to a fellow Democrat sitting nearby, asking whether raping children, killing citizens, or presidential self-enrichment were right or wrong. Her colleague answered "wrong" to each question.
"I probably never would have got that with our witness [Pam Bondi]," Crockett remarked.
The hearing focused partly on documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in 2019. Crockett revealed that files given to lawmakers came heavily redacted, forcing her staff to request complete versions.
She accused Bondi of tracking which members of Congress reviewed certain documents, comparing it to “Big Brother-style” surveillance. She explained that this violated the separation of powers since Congress has legal authority to oversee the executive branch.
Crockett's Criticism
Crockett addressed survivors of sexual abuse who attended the hearing, thanking them for having "more courage and moral clarity in your pinky fingers than the entire Department of Justice."
She criticized the department for what she called misplaced priorities, claiming it spent more resources arresting journalists than prosecuting serious criminals. Crockett listed several cases where she said prosecutions failed or were dismissed, including attempts to charge journalists and political figures.
The congresswoman also raised questions about President Donald Trump's connections to Epstein, citing documents showing thousands of references to Trump in the files.
She stopped short of making direct accusations, saying, "There is a lot of evidence in these files that suggests that he's very close friends with a lot of men who are pedophiles."
Bondi fired back, pointing out that Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries accepted money from Epstein after his conviction, a detail Crockett hadn't addressed. Crockett then argued that Jeffries has not faced conviction, questioning,“ So what are we talking about?" "Convict some of these perpetrators,” she urged.
Crockett concluded that Bondi would "be remembered as one of the worst attorney generals in history."
Since the hearing, there has grown a deeper partisan division over how the Justice Department operates under Trump's administration.
