Donald Trump's selection of former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to head up the Justice Department following the implosion of his nomination of former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is largely motivated by a deep desire for loyalty — Bondi was accused of accepting campaign contributions to shut down a probe into Trump University and served as Trump's defense counsel during the first impeachment trial.
But one group of Trump loyalists in particular are worried she may not go to bat for them, Politico reported Friday: Jan. 6 defendants.
For her part, Bondi promoted many of the same conspiracy theories as the Jan. 6 defendants about the 2020 election being stolen — but, noted the report, "there’s no record of Bondi commenting on the massive FBI manhunt to apprehend nearly 1,600 people for storming the Capitol that day, including hundreds who assaulted police."
And some of those defendants now worry she can't be trusted to help them.
“I have never seen Pam Bondi speak out on January 6. Hopefully, she isn’t too distant from the issue to clean house and investigate DOJ wrongdoing,” said William Pope, who will go to trial next year for his role in the Capitol attack. “This is a top priority for our next Attorney General!”
Another defendant, Phillip Anderson, posted, "Is she on our side? Will she end the J6 prosecutions and start prosecuting democrats? If not then she’s the wrong choice.”
The fact that Bondi has few associations with Jan. 6 investigations, noted the report, "stems from her contact with Cassidy Hutchinson, a witness to the House Jan. 6 select committee who described efforts by figures close to Trump — including Bondi — to line up jobs and legal representation for her. Hutchinson interpreted those overtures as an effort to keep her in the fold amid fears that other allies might reveal damaging information to investigators."
Regardless of Bondi's stance, she may not even have much of a role in the January 6 prosecutions. That's because Trump has repeatedly suggested he could pardon them upon taking office, a power he will have. However, after the election, Trump appeared to walk this back slightly, with his team suggesting he would review the charges "case by case" rather than a blanket pardon for everyone.