WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered an opening statement during today’s Senate Judiciary Committee executive business meeting condemning the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem for lying under oath during Tuesday’s oversight hearing. Secretary Noem lied about DHS following court orders, denied that DHS has detained U.S. citizens, and lied about Corey Lewandowski’s role at DHS.
Durbin also spoke about the nominees who were considered today including Robert Cekada, to be Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Anna St. John, to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana; and Andrew Davis, to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.
Key Quotes:
“I have served on this Committee for more than 25 years… and I’ve never been through a hearing like our DHS oversight hearing with Secretary Noem [on] Tuesday. The Secretary took an oath to tell the truth. But instead, she repeatedly failed to do so.”
“When I asked her if [DHS] follows court orders, Secretary Noem responded, ‘We follow court orders when they are given to us.’ This is demonstrably false. Even the Trump DOJ admitted in [a] sworn declaration that ICE has violated over 50 court orders in the state of New Jersey alone.”
“Secretary Noem also denied that DHS has detained U.S. citizens. Americans around the country, including in my home state of Illinois, know this is false. One of my constituents, U.S. citizen Dayanne Figeroa, was detained for hours after federal agents rammed her car and forced her to the ground. During ‘Operation Midway Blitz,’ my staff documented the arrest and detention of at least 40 U.S. citizens in my state of Illinois alone.”
“Secretary Noem also lied about the role of her de facto chief of staff, Corey Lewandowski. When asked directly whether Mr. Lewandowski has any role in approving DHS contracts, she denied it with an unequivocal ‘no.’ [But] DHS records show Mr. Lewandowski personally approved a multimillion-dollar contract last year—and that he routinely signs off on large awards before they reach the Secretary’s desk.”
“Mr. Chairman, the Secretary’s testimony was not just evasive or troubling, she repeatedly made false statements under oath. This should concern every member of this Committee—Republican and Democrat alike. This Committee has an obligation to hold the Secretary accountable. I look forward to discussing this with you and other members of the Committee [about] what our recourse is.”
“Let me say on a more personal note: several questions were repeatedly asked of her… really got to the heart of who she is. The question of common decency. To call victims in Minnesota who died and a victim in Illinois who barely survived five shots from [Border Patrol] agents. She refused to say ‘I’m sorry, I said the wrong thing.’ She claimed they were domestic terrorists. There was no evidence of that. None. Imagine those families just having lost a daughter or a son, mourning their loss, and have a member of the President’s cabinet announce on public television… that their deceased child was a domestic terrorist. I know that the phrase ‘I'm sorry, I should have done a better job’ is just unacceptable in this Administration.”
“We also cannot ignore that Secretary Noem has seriously weakened our capacity to prevent cybersecurity and terrorist attacks… Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI had a dedicated team of agents dedicated to investigating Iran’s efforts to evade international sanctions, sell oil on the black market, and fund their military and outside allies. Those investigations are now stalled, as agents are too busy with immigration enforcement.”
“Last spring, the FBI was forced to recall dozens of agents who specialized in counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and cybersecurity from immigration duty because of possible Iranian retaliation after the strikes against its nuclear sites.”
“Last week, FBI Director Patel attempted to distract from his Olympics trip by firing at least a dozen personnel who worked on counterintelligence matters… we’re in the midst of the sixth day of a war and the counterintelligence agents in these agencies have been fired for political reasons.”
“As a result of the President’s misguided priorities—and the incompetent leadership of individuals like Secretary Noem and Director Patel—America is less safe in an increasingly dangerous world.”
Video of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s opening statement is available here for TV Stations.
Durbin then spoke about the nominees considered in Committee today. He first voiced his concerns over Robert Cekada, nominated to be Director of ATF.
“While Mr. Cekada is a career professional who is committed to fighting crime, and I’m glad we had a chance to sit down together, his hearing testimony does not assure me that he would stand up [to the] Trump Administration to ensure this very controversial agency is not weaponized against the American people.”
Durbin then shared his deep concerns about Andrew Davis, nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. Durbin shared his concerns that Mr. Davis would not be able to put aside his partisan advocacy if he is confirmed to the bench.
“Mr. Davis has repeatedly argued that the qui tam provision of the False Claims Act, or FCA—a law the Chairman has championed for many years—violates the Constitution. Whistleblowers who bring qui tam actions play an important role in holding accountable those who defraud the federal government. Of $6.8 billion in FCA settlements and judgments last year, qui tam actions comprised $5.3 billion of that amount.”
[Mr. Davis] defended racist commentary from conservative pundit and former Republican official Bill Bennett, who said ‘I do know that it’s true that if you wanted to reduce crime, you could, if that were your sole purpose, you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down.’ Mr. Davis defended this statement as ‘essentially accurate.’”
“Mr. Davis’s failure to disavow his article is just plain unacceptable. How can people of color have faith that Mr. Davis will treat them fairly in his courtroom if he is confirmed?”
Durbin then spoke on Anna St. John, nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Durbin raised concerns about Ms. St. John’s partisan ideology and serious questions about her ability to impartially administer justice if she is confirmed.
“Her practice largely consists of challenging class-action settlements—and she has also made time to file amicus briefs in politically charged cases… Ms. St. John’s public commentary is also troubling. She has criticized what she calls ‘woke ideology.’ She has challenged First Amendment protections guaranteed by [the Supreme Court more than 60 years ago in] New York Times v. Sullivan.”
“In November 2021, Ms. St. John testified against bipartisan legislation ending forced arbitration in cases of workplace sexual assault and harassment. The legislation enjoyed broad support among lawmakers from both parties, yet Ms. St. John argued in defense of forcing sexual assault victims into closed-door arbitration proceedings and claimed that ending forced arbitration ‘turns these women into unwilling pawns.’”
“The issue was brought before the Committee at the urging of former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson, one of the leading advocates for legislation following her harassment by Roger Ailes. She is speaking out publicly [against] Ms. St. John’s nomination.”
“Listen to what Gretchen Carlson said, ‘While women around the country bravely shared the urgency of eradicating forced arbitration, St. John used her power and influence to gaslight these women and the public. She downplayed their stories and minimized their pain.’”
“I remember when Grethen Carlson was in this room. So many of us went up to her afterward and praised her for her courage to speak out for the harassment she [experienced] in her own personal life… We voted unanimously for that bill—Democrats and Republicans. Now we have a nominee who is opposed to it and says it is wrong. I’m going to vote no.”
Video of Durbin’s statements about Mr. Cekada, Mr. Davis, and Ms. St. John are available here.
Audio of Durbin’s statements about Mr. Cekada, Mr. Davis, and Ms. St. John are available here.
Footage of Durbin’s statements about Mr. Cekada, Mr. Davis, and Ms. St. John are available here for TV Stations.
Ms. Noem’s ouster came after she was grilled by lawmakers on a range of topics during congressional hearings.
She declined to apologize for her description of Mr. [Alex] Pretti and another U.S. citizen killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, Renee Good, as domestic terrorists. She said her statements were informed by “reports from the ground, from agents at the scene.”
Senator John Kennedy, Republican of Louisiana, grilled Ms. Noem about a ProPublica report that her department had spent more than $200 million on ad contracts, which he said had been steered to her former political consultants. Mr. Kennedy described the ads, including one in which she appeared on a horse in front of Mount Rushmore, as wasteful spending meant to boost Ms. Noem’s “name recognition.”
[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released the following statement after President Trump announced that Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem had been fired from her position:
“Kristi Noem’s firing is well-earned. The atrocities she oversaw, the falsehoods she peddled, and the corruption she committed – all richly deserve her discharge. President Trump should have made it explicit, rather than disguising it with another position of public trust. Whoever follows her must institute commonsense reforms that the American people have demanded and police forces around the country routinely follow. Changing only the top official is inadequate without changing the practices and power structure in the department.”
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And he also spoke to Carl Hulse and Michael Gold (NEW YORK TIMES):
Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, said on Thursday evening that he would press for a perjury investigation into Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary whom President Trump fired hours earlier.
Mr. Blumenthal said that he would call for the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations to investigate whether Ms. Noem had lied under oath during a Senate hearing on Tuesday, when she said that Corey Lewandowski, one of her top advisers, did not approve contracts for the Department of Homeland Security.
Mr. Blumenthal said that Democrats had evidence to suggest that Mr. Lewandowski had done so, and that Ms. Noem’s removal did not protect her from an investigation.
“Her firing doesn’t absolve her or relieve her of potential liability for perjury, and we are going to pursue an investigation of the evidence that she lied, because it relates to corruption in the administration,” said Mr. Blumenthal, the top Democrat on the panel.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, issued the following statement after President Trump announced that he would fire Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and nominate Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) to replace her:
“It’s about time. Kristi Noem’s tenure was a complete failure and she never should have been confirmed in the first place. But make no mistake: a new secretary doesn’t change the need for serious reforms at DHS and doesn’t undo the cruelty and terror the agency has unleashed on our communities at the direction of Donald Trump. We still need a full overhaul of ICE and CBP to ensure these agencies enforce our immigration laws in a way that reflects our values, doesn’t tear families apart, respects civil rights, and upholds the Constitution.”
Earlier this week, Padilla questioned DHS Secretary Noem on the Trump Administration’s cruel mass deportation and detention campaign, attacks on legal immigration, and efforts to meddle in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. Padilla called on Noem to resign, be fired, or be impeached by the House for her failed leadership of the Department. He also joined a press conference after the hearing to stand by three U.S. citizens who were assaulted and detained by DHS officers and agents.
Padilla has consistently voted against funding ICE and CBP’s lawless and reckless actions under President Trump.
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The Justice Department has published additional Epstein files related to allegations that President Trump sexually abused a minor after an NPR investigation found dozens of pages were withheld.
They include 16 new pages that cover three additional FBI interview summaries with a woman who accused Trump of sexual abuse decades ago when she was a minor. Also included are two pages of an intake form documenting the initial call to the FBI from a friend who relayed the claims.
NPR's investigation previously found 53 pages that appeared to be missing from the public database.
Now that these documents are published, there are still 37 pages of records missing from the public database, including notes from the interviews, a law enforcement report and license records.
The documents released on Thursday include descriptions of multiple 2019 interviews the FBI held with the woman, who alleged she was assaulted by Epstein and Trump while she was aged between 13 and 15 years old.
In one interview, the woman said Epstein took her to “either New York or New Jersey” and introduced her to Trump. She told investigators that she bit Trump as he attempted to force her to perform oral sex on him.
The woman said she and people close to her received threatening calls over the years demanding she keep quiet, which she believed were related to Epstein.
FBI records reportedly suggest agents stopped speaking with her in 2019. In the report of the woman’s final interview, conducted in October 2019, during Trump’s first presidency, agents asked whether she would be willing to provide more information about Trump.
In response, the agent wrote, she “asked what the point would be of providing the information at this point in her life when there was a strong possibility nothing could be done about it”.
The agents first spoke to the alleged victim in July 2019, shortly after Epstein was rearrested and a month before his death in a New York City jail cell.
According to documents, she said that the pedophile had first met her in South Carolina in the 1980s and sexually abused her when she was 13. She made no mention of Trump.
A memo recounting that conversation was previously released.
In the first of the new documents, the woman alleges that Epstein “drove her and/or flew her to either New York or New Jersey” when she was still underage and took her to a “very tall building” where, she says, she was first introduced to Trump.
According to the accuser, Trump asked everyone else present to leave the room and “mentioned something to the effect of, ‘Let me teach you how little girls are supposed to be.’”
He then allegedly pressed her head against his crotch, anticipating oral sex, only for the woman to bite him, at which point Trump allegedly struck her and said “words to the effect of, ‘get this little bitch the hell out of here.’” She also claims to have heard Trump and Epstein discussing blackmail and money laundering.
In a third interview, conducted later that month, the woman describes receiving threatening phone calls and several incidents where she was “almost run off of the road” by other cars, which she said she believed was ordered by Epstein or Trump.
In a fourth session that October, the woman expressed doubts about the value of making allegations when the statute of limitations on the incidents she described had, in all likelihood, long since passed. She was advised to “to go home and take as much time as she needed to think about speaking with the agents further,” the documents allege.
BlackCommentator.com March 5, 2026 Issue 1077 |
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