President Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Justice, Pam Bondi, on Wednesday advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on a strict party-line vote, setting the stage for a vote on the Senate floor.

The panel voted 12-10 to clear her from committee, advancing her nomination to serve as attorney general over objections from Democrats over her ability to exercise independence from the president.

“The president has repeatedly threatened to weaponize the justice system against those he feels have wronged him, and that's a long list. It includes career prosecutors, military officials and his own former political appointees. Unfortunately, we are seeing these threats emerge in real time,” Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the top Democrat on the panel, said during the meeting.

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