Bondi Perjures Herself in Combative Hearing

If we had to make a list of Trump administration officials who need to face accountability for their roles in trying to turn the United States into a lawless, authoritarian state, it would contain dozens of names. That of Attorney General Pam Bondi would not be far from the top for violating her oath of office and besmirching the Constitution.

And we hope that a future administration, one that is actually interested in the rule of law and in dissuading the next generations of fascists from betraying the nation’s ideals, will force her to stand trial (and hopefully send her to prison) for her misdeeds.

It shouldn’t be difficult to find a real reason to charge her (and not a contrived one like her department’s attempt to indict Democratic lawmakers for stating a fact). Obstruction of justice in many cases comes to mind, or the failure to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

However, if future prosecutors are looking for a particularly low-hanging fruit, then we want to direct their attention to Bondi’s embarrassing appearance before the House Judiciary Committee.

Fortunately for her, making a fool of herself, hurling prepared insults at lawmakers instead of answering questions, and refusing to acknowledge the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell aren’t crimes (and they shouldn’t be).

Perjury, however, is.

And it is quite clear that Bondi, like so many other Trump administration officials who appeared before Congress, lied under oath.

In an exchange with Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC), the attorney general said that Maxwell “was not transferred to a lower-level facility.”

Now, while most Trump administration officials probably can’t tell the truth from a lie anymore, they need to choose their words more carefully when they are testifying before Congress than, for example, when they invent figures to butter up the boss during a cabinet meeting or when they appear on Fox News.

Bondi may wish she had… because her claim regarding Maxwell is demonstrably false.

After Epstein’s confidante met with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and told him what he wanted to hear (instead of pleading the Fifth, which is what she did on Tuesday when faced with a less sympathetic crowd), she was moved from FCI Tallahassee to FBC Bryan in Texas.

According to its website, the former is a “low security federal correctional institution,” while the latter is a “minimum security federal prison camp.”

According to the Bureau of Prisons, that’s not the same thing.

In fact, its website makes it quite clear that a “minimum security” prison is a lower-level facility than a “low security” prison.

For example, while minimum security facilities have no or limited perimeter fencing, low security prisons have double-fenced perimeters.

Of course, if Bondi doesn’t want to take our word for it, or that of the Bureau of Prisons, then she could just ask Maxwell. She should know!

After all, according to a whistleblower, Maxwell is now serving her 20-year sentence, which she received for her role in Epstein’s sex trafficking operation, in a much cushier facility with many different perks, including access to a puppy and the warden.

Now, we get that lying to Congress obviously isn’t at the top of the list when it comes to Bondi’s misdeeds. However, the attorney general very demonstrably perjured herself on Wednesday and shouldn’t get away with that.