At Hearing with Attorney General Bondi, Senator Murray Slams Trump’s Weaponization of DOJ, Presses AG on Whistleblower Complaint on Ignoring Court Orders, Termination of Public Safety Grants for Communities
***WATCH: Senator Murray’s exchange with AG Bondi***
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, at a Senate Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the president’s fiscal year 2026 budget request for the Department of Justice (DOJ). Senator Murray spoke about how the Trump administration has attacked DOJ’s independence and eroded its capacity to do its job for the American people—through everything from mass firings and the elimination of entire divisions—and discussed DOJ’s alarming pattern of trampling people’s basic rights in the months since President Trump took office.
During her questioning, Senator Murray pressed Attorney General Bondi on a whistleblower complaint filed yesterday alleging that Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove told subordinates that DOJ should consider defying court orders. Senator Murray also pressed Bondi on DOJ’s senseless termination of hundreds of public safety grants and the Trump administration’s request to consolidate the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) into the Office of Justice Programs, which would hamstring OVW and place more barriers between victims and the services they need.
In her opening comments, Vice Chair Murray said:
“Attorney General Bondi, we are in a deeply alarming moment where law and order is being replaced by chaos, and corruption, and really whatever Trump wants.
“And your Department’s independence and its capacity to do its job—have eroded before our eyes. We have seen respected career officials have been fired for doing their job. Thousands more are being pushed out with your buyouts and the threat of mass firings. And entire divisions are being eliminated, and grants have been cancelled illegally.
“So, I have questions about how and why those decisions are being made and importantly whether you’re adequately resourcing DOJ to do its job.
“But before I turn to my questions, I do want to raise my alarm about the troubling pattern of trampling basic rights. Detainees, including U.S. citizens, being shipped overseas without any due process, elected officials are detained for conducting oversight. And a U.S. Senator gets tackled to the ground for asking questions at a press conference.
“This is not the country I know or the values I believe in. And I hope that colleagues on both sides of the aisle will agree with that.”
[DOJ WHISTLEBLOWER]
Senator Murray began her questioning by pressing Attorney General Bondi on a whistleblower complaint filed yesterday by a former career lawyer at DOJ, Erez Reuveni, who alleged that Deputy Attorney General Emile Bove recommended subordinates ignore court orders to fulfill President Trump’s aggressive deportation campaign: “A former DOJ attorney filed a protected whistleblower complaint accusing Deputy AG Emil Bove and senior DOJ leadership of defying court orders, including through ‘lack of candor, deliberate delay, and disinformation.’ The complaint also accuses this Administration of firing the whistleblower for, ‘telling the truth to the court.’ These allegations are deeply concerning. Now, I know you said that you can't discuss the case, but can you confirm that you agree that this administration should follow court orders?”
“We will follow court orders, Senator. The entire administration will follow court orders. The problem arises in the district courts. All these districts courts throughout the country are tying our hands. But here’s how we will follow them. When we get to the United States Supreme Court, we’re winning. So yes, we are following the orders of the court,” Attorney General Bondi replied.
Senator Murray pressed: “I know you want to filibuster but let me ask my questions. Can you confirm you will not allow any conduct like what is alleged to continue at the DOJ?”
“I’m not going to talk about anything that's alleged. What I will talk about with you…What you asked me, alleged conduct that’s part of a pending whistleblower lawsuit that was filed on the eve prior to Emil Bove’s hearing today, which seems highly suspicious,” Attorney General Bondi replied.
“I’m not asking about that case specifically—” interjected Senator Murray, steering back to her original question.
“I would run through a wall for Emil Bove and Todd Blanche,” Attorney General Bondi said.
“Attorney General Bondi, this is my time...I just want you to confirm for us, you will not allow conduct like that at the DOJ, yes or no?” Senator Murray pressed.
Attorney General Bondi refused to answer the question, saying instead: “I will always support and defend Emil Bove, and I will defend Todd Blanche. They are two of the finest people I know. And two of the most ethical people I know.”
Senator Murray replied, “I was asking about the conduct.”
[GRANT TERMINATIONS]
Senator Murray moved on to press Attorney General Bondi on the DOJ’s senseless cancellation of hundreds of critical public safety grants that have left communities—including in Washington state—scrambling. In April, Senator Murray joined dozens of her colleagues in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Maureen Henneberg urging them to reverse the abrupt cancelation of these grants. “In April, DOJ abruptly terminated over 300 public safety grants that had already gone through a very rigorous, and fair, and apolitical application process—with no explanation. This is funding to investigate and prosecute drug trafficking, to support foster care kids who experienced abuse or neglect, to expand access to forensic exams to prosecute violent crimes like sexual assault. These really senseless cancelations have already forced public safety organizations to cut employees and services,” Senator Murray said.
“So, I want to ask you, when you cut off the Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative funding, were you aware it is used to prevent and reduce violent crime?” Senator Murray asked.
“We have cut grants; I think we've cut 6 percent,” Attorney General Bondi replied. “But if we have cut a grant that you feel should not be cut, please reach out to me. I will personally look at it. We've turned multiple grants back on. We have an appeal process. But if you want to come to me directly, I would be happy to sit down with you and look at that and help you. Again, we're doing everything we can.”
“Let me just ask you, when you cut off the expanding access to Sexual Assault Forensic Examination Grant, were you aware that that grant helps our authorities prosecute rape and sexual assault?” Senator Murray asked.
Attorney General Bondi replied, “I have no idea about that specific grant you're talking about. That's why I said, if you want to come sit down with me, I would never cut a grant intentionally that has anything to do—”
“I appreciate that. It is very hard for the recipients on the other end, across the country to get a phone into you,” said Senator Murray.
“Can you give me the details of that grant?” Attorney General Bondi asked.
“I can absolutely do that, and my staff will get that to you. But those are two critical ones that I just wanted to ask you about today,” Senator Murray responded.
“Again, we've turned many grants back on and will continue to. If you want to call me and we can discuss them with you,” Attorney General Bondi said.
[OFFICE ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN]
Murray continued by asking Attorney General Bondi about the Trump administration’s proposal to consolidate the Office on Violence Against Women as part of their fiscal year 2026 budget request: “In your budget request, you proposed consolidating the Office on Violence Against Women into the Office of Justice Programs. In 2002, Congress actually codified the Office as a permanent, separate, and independent office to implement the Violence Against Women Act. We did that to make sure that violent crimes against women receive the necessary attention, expertise, and resources, and to give the Office a strong, independent voice within the Justice Department and Federal government.”
“Now, your Department wants to fade that into the OJP, which violates the intent of the law that we passed. It makes grant programs less effective, and it places a lot more barriers for victims and services they need,” Senator Murray said. “And I see that you’re cutting the Office’s resources by about a third. So, will you commit to us—the Appropriations Committee—to follow the law and maintain OVW as a separate grant entity?”
Attorney General Bondi refused, saying: “I will follow the law, but I will not keep that as a separate grant entity. You and I can disagree all day long on what the law is. That’s being consolidated into the Office of Justice Program. I'm not going to cut…anything that's going to hurt violence against women. It will eliminate duplicate—”
“Just for your information Attorney General, in 2002 we codified the Office as a permanent, separate, and independent office. So, that you need to go back and take a look at that,” Murray replied.
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