Pam Bondi Clashes With Rep. Joe Neguse After He Accuses Her of Corruption

Betrayal of the Badge: Rep. Joe Neguse Exposes Pam Bondi’s “Corruption” and the Gutting of the Department of Justice

In what will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most contentious and revealing oversight hearings in recent Capitol Hill history, the veneer of the Department of Justice was stripped away, revealing a startling landscape of alleged corruption, hypocrisy, and systematic deconstruction. Attorney General Pam Bondi, the woman tasked with being the “People’s Lawyer,” found herself in the crosshairs of Representative Joe Neguse (D-CO), whose surgical questioning left the nation’s top law enforcement officer visibly rattled and the public demanding answers.

The confrontation was more than just political theater; it was a profound inquiry into the integrity of the American legal system and whether the department meant to uphold the law has instead become a sanctuary for those who once sought to tear it down.

The “Law and Order” Paradox

The hearing began with a sharp juxtaposition. Rep. Neguse brought up a social media post made by Bondi just six days prior, in which she stated, “If you come for law enforcement, the Trump administration will come for you.” It was a classic “law and order” declaration, designed to project strength and unwavering support for the men and women in blue. However, Neguse was prepared to show that these words were hollow, if not outright deceptive.

Neguse played a thirty-second video clip that sent a chill through the hearing room. The footage, captured from a police body camera during the January 6th Capitol attack, showed a man erupting in a violent, profanity-laced tirade against officers. The man was seen yelling, “You guys are disgusting! You are the Nazi, you are the Gestapo!” Most chillingly, he was allegedly caught on tape screaming “Kill him!” at police officers as they struggled to hold the line.

The revelation that followed was explosive. Neguse identified the man as Jared Wise, an individual indicted by a federal grand jury for two felonies and four misdemeanors, including forcibly assaulting, resisting, and impeding police officers. The kicker? Jared Wise is now an employee of the Department of Justice, working directly under Pam Bondi.

“This is who you choose as the chief law enforcement officer of the United States of America to hire at the Department of Justice?” Neguse asked, his voice thick with incredulity. “Someone on video yelling ‘Kill him!’ at police officers?”

Bondi’s defense was telling. Rather than condemning the actions or expressing concern over the vetting process, she simply noted that the individual had been pardoned by the President. To Neguse and many observers, the pardon did not erase the character of the man or the message his hiring sent to the “hardworking police officers across the country” Bondi claimed to protect. It was a moment that laid bare a fundamental paradox: an administration that claims to back the blue while simultaneously rewarding those who attacked them.

The Systematic Gutting of Oversight

As the hearing progressed, the focus shifted from the hiring of violent offenders to the systematic dismantling of the DOJ’s internal watchdogs. Rep. Neguse moved to the Public Integrity Section (PIN) of the Criminal Division—the very unit responsible for investigating and prosecuting corruption within the federal government.

Created under the Gerald Ford administration in the wake of the Watergate scandal, PIN was designed to ensure that no official, regardless of their station, was above the law. Neguse revealed that when Bondi took office, the section was staffed by 35 dedicated professionals. Today, according to Neguse, that number has been slashed to just two.

“You have gutted it,” Neguse charged.

The Attorney General attempted to deflect, claiming she had ended “weaponization,” but Neguse refused to let her off the hook. He moved quickly to the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET), a specialized unit created to tackle the growing wave of digital financial crimes, money laundering, and fraud.

When asked how many people currently work for the NCET, Bondi refused to provide a number. The reason, as Neguse pointed out, was that she had eliminated the team entirely.

Follow the Money: The Crypto Connection

The elimination of the Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team isn’t just a matter of bureaucratic reshuffling; it carries profound implications for presidential accountability. Neguse connected the dots between the dissolution of this enforcement arm and the financial interests of Bondi’s boss.

“Why [did she eliminate the team]?” Neguse posited. “Because her boss, the President of the United States, is making money hand over fist—$1.4 billion over the course of the last year through cryptocurrency holdings.”

The allegation is staggering: that the nation’s top law enforcement agency is intentionally blinding itself to the very sector where the President is amassing a massive fortune. By gutting the units responsible for investigating public integrity and crypto-fraud, the DOJ has effectively removed the guardrails that prevent the highest office in the land from becoming a vehicle for personal enrichment.

A Department in Disgrace

Throughout the hearing, Bondi’s demeanor shifted from defensive to dismissive. She struggled to answer basic questions about the functioning of her department, at one point attempting to “reclaim” time that did not belong to her—a move that forced the Chairman to intervene and remind her that she was the witness, not the interrogator.

The “tantrum,” as many have called it, was a display of an official who seemed unaccustomed to being held accountable. For Neguse, the refusal to answer in good faith was not a coincidence but a strategy.

“I think what is happening at the Department of Justice is a disgrace,” Neguse concluded before yielding his time. “The unwillingness of this Attorney General to answer basic questions about how the Department of Justice functions… is not a coincidence. It’s because she eliminated the teams.”

The Aftermath and the Path Forward

The fallout from this hearing is only beginning. The images of Jared Wise attacking police, juxtaposed with his new status as a DOJ employee, have sparked outrage among law enforcement groups and civil rights advocates alike. The revelation that the Public Integrity Section has been reduced to a skeleton crew has raised alarms about the future of government accountability.

As the American public processes these revelations, the question remains: Can the Department of Justice return to its mission of impartial oversight, or has the “weaponization” Bondi claims to fight against actually been replaced by something far more dangerous—a Department of Justice that serves the interests of a few at the expense of the many?

Rep. Joe Neguse has pulled back the curtain, and the view is unsettling. In a democracy, the law is the only thing that stands between the citizen and the state. When the guardians of that law are accused of corruption and negligence, the foundation of the republic itself is at risk. This hearing was a reminder that oversight is not just a Congressional duty; it is a vital necessity for the survival of the rule of law.