00:00We're joined by the vice chairman of the full committee. Senator Murray is recognized.
00:04Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
00:07Attorney 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.
00:16And your department's independence and its capacity to do its job have eroded before our eyes.
00:23We have seen respected career officials who've 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.
00:35And grants have been canceled illegally.
00:38So I have questions about how and why those decisions are being made and, importantly, whether you're adequately resourcing DOJ to do its job.
00:46But before I turn to my questions, I do want to raise my alarm about the troubling pattern of trampling basic rights.
00:54Detainees, including U.S. citizens, being shipped overseas without any due process.
01:00Elected officials are detained for conducting oversight.
01:04And a U.S. senator gets tackled to the ground for asking questions at a press conference.
01:09This is not the country I know or the values I believe in.
01:13And I hope that colleagues on both sides of the aisle will agree with that.
01:17Now, to the questions.
01:18Yesterday, and I know that Senator Van Hollen raised this issue, a former DOJ attorney filed a protected whistleblower complaint
01:28accusing Deputy AG Amal Bove and senior DOJ leadership of defying court orders, including through, quote,
01:35lack of candor, deliberate delay, and disinformation, unquote.
01:39The complaint also accuses this administration of firing the whistleblower for, quote, telling the truth to the court.
01:47These allegations are deeply concerning.
01:49Now, 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?
01:59We will follow court orders, Senator.
02:04The entire administration will follow court orders.
02:07The problem arises in the district courts.
02:10All these district courts throughout the country are high in our hands.
02:15And here's how we will follow them when we get to the United Supreme Court.
02:18I need to ask a number of questions.
02:20So, yes, we're following the orders of the court.
02:22Let me ask my questions.
02:23Can you confirm you will not allow any conduct like what is alleged to continue at the DOJ?
02:30I'm not going to talk about anything that's alleged.
02:32What I will talk about with you.
02:34Hold on.
02:35You asked me a question, and I get to answer it.
02:36What you asked me, alleged conduct that's part of a pending whistleblower lawsuit that was filed on the eve prior to Amal Bove's hearing today.
02:46I'm not asking about that.
02:47Hold on.
02:48Let me keep going.
02:49I would run through a wall for Amal Bove and Todd Blanche.
02:52I would like to continue with my questions.
02:53I have very limited time.
02:57I just want you to confirm for this you will not allow conduct like that at the DOJ.
03:03Yes or no?
03:04I will always support and defend Amal Bove and I will defend Todd Blanche.
03:08They are two of the finest people I know and two of the ethical people I know.
03:10I was asking about the conduct.
03:12Let me keep going here.
03:14Now, 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.
03:26This 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.
03:40These really senseless cancellations have already forced public safety organizations to cut employees and services.
03:48So, 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?
04:00Yeah, um, Senator, you weren't here for that, so I'm going to have to repeat myself.
04:05We have cut grants.
04:07I think we've cut 6%, but if we have cut a grant that you feel should not be cut, please reach out to me.
04:15I would personally look at it.
04:18We've turned multiple grants back on.
04:20We have an appeal process.
04:22But if you want to come to me directly, I would be happy to sit down with you and look at that and help you.
04:28I'm happy to do that.
04:29Again, we're doing everything we can.
04:31Okay, but 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?
04:43I have no idea about that specific grant you're talking about.
04:46That'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.
04:53It's very hard for those recipients on the other end across the country.
04:56Can you give me the details of that grant?
04:58I 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.
05:05Again, we've turned many grants back on, and we'll continue to.
05:09If you want to call me, and we can discuss them with you.
05:13Okay, in your budget request, you proposed consolidating the Office on Violence Against Women into the Office of Justice Programs.
05:21In 2002, Congress actually codified the office as a permanent, separate, and independent office to implement the Violence Against Women Act.
05:30We did that to make sure that violent crimes against women receive the necessary attention, expertise, and resources,
05:38and to give the office a strong, independent voice within the Justice Department and federal government.
05:45Now your department wants to fade that into the OJP, which violates the intent of the law that we passed.
05:53It makes grant programs less effective, and it places a lot more barriers for victims and services they need.
06:01And I see that you're cutting the office's resources by about a third.
06:05So will you commit to us, the Appropriations Committee, to follow the law and maintain OVW as a separate grant entity?
06:14I will follow the law, but I will not keep that as a separate grant entity.
06:20You and I can disagree all day long on what the law is.
06:23That's being consolidated into the Office of Justice Programs.
06:26I'm not going to cut, let me answer, I'm not going to cut anything that's going to hurt violence against women.
06:33Not my question.
06:33Just for your information, Attorney General, in 2002, we codified the office as a permanent, separate, and independent office.
06:45So that, you need to go back and take a look at that.
06:48I know my time is out, but I thank you very much for the time.
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