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The federal government might be shut down, but there were still fireworks on Capitol Hill Tuesday when Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
And US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island was part of the action.
Whitehouse was among the Democrats who grilled Bondi during the contentious hearing, raising questions about the $50,000 that border czar Tom Homan allegedly accepted in an undercover FBI investigation last year.
Rather than answering Whitehouse’s questions, Bondi accused the senator of accepting campaign contributions from Reid Hoffman, the LinkedIn co-founder and top Democratic donor who Republicans have linked to Jeffrey Epstein.
Whitehouse later took to X to say he couldn’t find any records of donations from Hoffman, and questioned why the Justice Department is conducting “oppo research” on senators.
For what it’s worth, state campaign finance records show Hoffman has donated $29,500 to the Rhode Island Democratic Party and several elected officials and candidates since 2014, including Governor Dan McKee during his first campaign for lieutenant governor, Helena Foulkes, and former governor Gina Raimondo.
You can watch the full video of Whitehouse questioning Bondi by clicking the image below.
🤔 So you think you're a Rhode Islander...
Why is Gilbert Stuart's "Athenaeum Portrait" considered his most notable portrait?
(Answer at the bottom.)
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The Globe in Rhode Island
⚓ The race to become Rhode Island’s next attorney is quickly becoming the state’s most intriguing 2026 contest aside from the governor’s race, and it is undergoing seismic changes, with more in store. Read more.
⚓ An immigration attorney under federal criminal investigation and facing professional discipline was temporarily suspended from practicing law in Rhode Island on Tuesday. Read more.
⚓ During a visit to Rhode Island, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Susan M. Collins said consumer spending has helped US economic activity remain solid, but there are signs that the job market has softened amid “anemic hiring” by employers even as layoffs remain low. Read more.
⚓ Rhode Island FC has attracted an enthusiastic following that has tapped into the deep yearning of Pawtucket for a new team to call its own. Check out Lane Turner's photo essay. Read more.
You can check out all of our coverage at Globe.com/RI
Also in the Globe
⚓ Before he became a top Trump administration attack dog on all things DEI, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was a Harvard University master’s degree candidate who described closing racial achievement gaps as a “laudable goal,” backed “equality, diversity, and accessibility,” and saw the necessity of working with Democrats. Read more.
⚓ If lawmakers can strike a deal to quickly end the federal government shutdown, it may be due in part to the quiet work of New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who has become a key player in back-channel discussions for a bipartisan compromise. Read more.
⚓ There’s every reason to believe Boston will have a WNBA team one day. There’s no reason to believe that day is coming soon. Read more.
⚓ Rhode Map readers, if you want the birthday of a friend or family member to be recognized Friday, send me an email with their first and last name, and their age.
⚓ The Warwick School Committee is holding a special meeting at 8:45 a.m. to discuss potential litigation related to its current school budget.
The "Athenaeum Portrait" is an unfinished painting of George Washington that was used as the model for the Washington portrait on the one-dollar bill.
RHODE ISLAND REPORT PODCAST Ed Fitzpatrick talks to RWU professor Jacquline Cottle and Amy Nunn about their public health concerns with the Trump administration. Listen to all of our podcasts here.
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