Hegseth and Bondi First Trump Cabinet Nominees to Undergo Senate Confirmation Hearings – One America News Network
OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
6:18 PM – Monday, January 6, 2025
Next week, Senate committees are set to conduct confirmation hearings for President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural cabinet nominees: Attorney General Pam Bondi and Defense Secretary-designate Pete Hegseth.
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Commencing on January 14th, lawmakers will interrogate Bondi, 59, and Hegseth, 44, before the Armed Services and Judiciary Committees.
“I have great enthusiasm for her record as Attorney General of Florida and her accomplishments as a prosecutor,” said Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) about Bondi. “I believe we will see the Justice Department focusing on prosecuting rather than using its power as a political tool against opponents.”
“The only thing that could expedite her nomination is if the transition team we’re collaborating with for the upcoming Trump administration would finalize background investigations and essential documentation—especially the ethics reports we require,” Grassley indicated.
“We still lack all necessary paperwork. I wish to obtain it so I can schedule her hearing for the 14th.”
As per a representative from the Armed Services Committee, Hegseth’s hearing is also slated for that same day.
With a 53-47 majority in the Senate, Republicans can afford to lose only four votes from their own ranks before any nomination faces potential risk.
Following the ISIS-inspired terror attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day, Senate leaders, including Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), have urged the prompt confirmation of Trump’s national security selections.
Despite concerns over Hegseth’s purported personal and professional “misconduct,” including accusations from two veterans advocacy organizations regarding financial mismanagement and drinking issues, Trump continues to support him.
The allegations, raised by anonymous whistleblowers, have been categorically denied by various former senior officials, including a trustee from Concerned Veterans for America, one of the involved organizations. They also dismissed any claims that Hegseth was terminated for drinking or inappropriate conduct.
In his attorney’s requests to release exonerating evidence from an investigation by a California DA’s office, Hegseth’s legal team has also sought the release of documents that could clarify sexual assault accusations from 2017 that have re-emerged following Trump’s nomination of him.
According to his attorney, Tim Parlatore, the file reportedly includes evidence indicating that the female accuser made false sexual assault claims against another individual in a different jurisdiction.
“He embodies the military ethos. That’s his main topic of conversation,” Sgt. Maj. Eric Geressy, who served alongside Hegseth in Iraq in 2005, shared with The Post last month. “Pete is incredibly intelligent, articulate, and a critical thinker. He will learn from the experts and gain valuable insights.”
Sources indicate that Hegseth is likely to secure the votes necessary for his confirmation, despite the mainstream media’s efforts to revive old allegations against him.
Bondi, who held the position of Florida’s attorney general for two terms from 2011 to 2019, is expected to be appointed without issue, as one GOP official noted her “impressive qualifications” and “strong suitability for this role.”
A letter addressed to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, from over 110 former high-ranking Justice Department officials who served under both Republican and Democratic administrations, advocated for Bondi’s swift confirmation.
“As a dedicated prosecutor, Attorney General Bondi will be fully prepared from day one to advocate for the American public in reducing crime, addressing the opioid crisis, supporting law enforcement, and restoring the integrity of the Department of Justice,” the officials communicated to Grassley and Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).
In 2020, Bondi briefly participated in the former president’s legal defense during his first impeachment trial in the Senate. More recently, she has served at the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.
The Senate is to vote on a resolution allowing hearings by various committees reviewing Trump’s nominees on January 7th. Typically, a week’s notice is required for such sessions.
Meanwhile, FBI Director-designate Kash Patel, who has garnered support from Senate Republicans and is committed to reforming the Justice Department, is expected to be the next nominee to face the Judiciary Committee after Bondi, as noted by Grassley.
Grassley expressed having a “very favorable” impression of the 44-year-old FBI director-nominee and anticipates Patel’s confirmation will follow Bondi’s.
“I expect he will implement significant changes on the eighth floor of the Hoover building in Washington, DC,” Grassley stated on Friday, “and help the FBI to function as a law enforcement agency rather than a political instrument that it has been.”
Brooke Rollins, Trump’s proposed Agriculture secretary, is also preparing for a confirmation hearing scheduled for January 15th, according to Politico. The Senate’s Environment and Public Works panel will review former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin’s nomination to lead the Environmental Protection Agency sometime next week as well.
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