Top Senate Republicans asked Pam Bondi to support the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ( FISA ), which federal agents abused to spy on Americans during her confirmation hearings for attorney general.  ,
The FBI and Department of Justice used FISA to traitor on former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, as The Federalist originally reported. Part 702 of the policy allows governmental agencies to gather communications of noncitizens, outside the state, without a permit. Although it purports to prevent the state from spying on American, the CIA was discovered in 2022 using the law, which Congressional Republicans reauthorized next year, to spy on Americans.
” I would like to have a strategy to deal with the ISIS danger that’s beyond just the law enforcement model”, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R- S. C. said to Bondi. ” Does that make sense to you, that we should use every tool in the toolbox” ? ,
For an approach “includes wrapping in our state and local leaders” and “better participation” across the country and earth, Bondi replied.
Do you favor reauthorizing FISA in 2025? asked Graham.
” I believe]section ] 702 is up in 2026″, Bondi said. “FISA may be closely examined as a very important tool,” says the statement.
” Would you believe that 702 provides significant intel-gathering ability to defend our region”? Graham asked. Bondi called it “extremely crucial”.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, even pushed Bondi on the topic. He said 60 percentage of the government’s knowledge brief comes from Part 702. ” It’s been called the crown jewel of U. S. intelligence”, he said.  ,
Cornyn argued that Part 702″ may be lawfully used to spy on American people” and that if that happens, it should be “prosecuted to the full extent of the law.” Finally, he brought up Biden’s temporary law extension until 2026,” for the use of the intelligence community to targeted international threats to our national safety.”
” I’d like you just verify here on the report that you will carry out that law and that you can support it as it is written,” Cornyn said.
” Senator, I haven’t read the entire 702 in front of you, but I will commit to reading that and doing everything I can to keep America healthy again”, Bondi replied.
Cornyn suggested worries about Part 702 are “misinformation”.
” I think there’s a lot of misconceptions with regard to how Section 702 plays … it is not used to spy on American people”, Cornyn said.  ,
A letter from former director of national intelligence John Ratcliffe, who is Trump’s choice for CIA director, was allegedly quoted as saying” a warrant condition may not reach its intended goals and may prevent national security efforts,” according to Cornyn. Bondi contacted Cornyn to inquire if she shares that issue.
” I had read his letter, and I will talk to you after I read his memo”, Bondi said.  ,
Cornyn even pushed FISA on Ratcliffe during his confirmation hearing the same day. He claimed the law merely lets national authorities target “foreigners abroad, no Americans”. He inquired about mandating a warrant to search tracking data with Ratcliffe.
Is there a way for you to go to court and identify the requirements for a permit or probable trigger before querying that information? Cornyn asked.
We’re talking about national security concerns where days often matter, Ratcliffe said,” You really don’t have the information to obtain the permit and the process of obtaining the permit.”  ,
While both Cornyn and Ratcliffe acknowledged possible “abuse” of FISA, the legislator argued that having a permit is” not the answer” is required. As in the Bondi hear, he suggested problems occur from “misinformation”.
“FISA’s operation is a complex mistake and propaganda,” Cornyn said. The truth is that using this device to spy on Americans is against the law, and there are rules in place to minimize the possibility.
Never mind that, while standard FISA techniques supposedly ensure the” Judge verifies the exactness of every fact stated in the application”, the FBI and DOJ used the sham Hillary Clinton-backed Steele Dossier to spy on Trump’s 2016 plan. Christopher Wray, the department’s FISA strategy, was even able to adjust internally, as did FBI Director Christopher Wray, who announced he would step over when Trump takes office.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, called out the consequences of FISA during Bondi’s assurance reading.  ,
He said under the law, federal agents “incidentally collect the communications of British citizens, either because they’re probably accidentally talking to someone who might become an agent of a foreign power, and themselves under 702 security” and place them on a “big collection”. He claimed that FBI agents have accessed the database without a warrant.
This results in what we refer to as a “de facto backdoor warrantless search.” Would you concur that any time any American citizens ‘ conversations are intercepted or stored, they ought not to be searched without some kind of probable cause showing. I assume you agree with me on that”, Lee said.  ,
” Yes”, Bondi said.  ,
” It’s my sincere hope that next time FISA 702 comes up for reauthorization, Congress will finally do what it has been avoiding for a long time”, Lee said,” which is to ensure that this doesn’t happen”.
Logan Washburn is a staff writer who writes about the integrity of elections. He is a The College Fix spring 2025 fellow. He graduated from Hillsdale College, served as Christopher Rufo’s editorial assistant, and has bylines in The Wall Street Journal, The Tennessean, and The Daily Caller. Logan is originally from Central Oregon, but he now resides in rural Michigan.
