Attorney General Bondi Clashes with Senator Merkley Over Foreign Influence Questions at Budget Hearing

Washington D.C. - A heated exchange unfolded on Capitol Hill today as Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) pressed Attorney General Pam Bondi on questions of foreign influence during a budget hearing. Senator Merkley inquired whether foreign interests were among the 220 individuals who attended a recent White House dinner, reportedly for top purchasers of the president's memecoin. "I want to know if when the president held his dinner for 220 individuals who purchased the most of his memecoins, were there foreign interests attending that dinner?" Senator Merkley asked. He emphasized the importance of transparency, stating, "Don't you think the American people have a right to know?" Attorney General Bondi strongly rebuffed the line of questioning. "Senator, we're here to talk about the Department of Justice and my budget for the upcoming year," Bondi stated. She characterized Merkley's inquiry as "wildly offensive" and accused him of attempting a "gotcha question" during a critical budget discussion. Bondi then shifted focus to issues within Senator Merkley's home state. "When you have murders left and right in your state, violent crimes, and we are doing everything we can to help your liberal state," she asserted. "Whether you're liberal or not, we're going to do everything we can to help the citizens of your state. And you're trying to avoid that because you're trying to play a gotcha question with the president of the United States, and it's not going to work. We're here to talk about our budget and public safety."