U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi was sworn in at the Justice Department Wednesday, taking the reins amid a firestorm of reassignments, lawsuits and resignations from senior law enforcement officials.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, criticized Democrats on the panel for what he called a "delay tactic" to stall the confirmation of Kash Patel to be FBI director.

Pam Bondi's confirmation as U.S. attorney general comes at a time when the Justice Department and FBI are under heavy scrutiny by Democrats and Republicans.

Questions ranged from agents' participation in any grand jury subpoenas, whether the agents worked or responded to leads from another FBI field office, or if they worked as a case agent for investigations.

The FBI agents said in the lawsuit that any effort to review or discriminate agains employees involved in the Jan. 6 investigations would be “unlawful and retaliatory," and a violation of civil service protections.

Brooke Rollins, the former president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, had earned broad support from farmers and growers' groups ahead of her Senate confirmation vote.

President Donald Trump railed against the FBI as a "very corrupt" institution and said his nominee to be FBI director, Kash Patel, will "straighten it out."

Pam Bondi, a former Florida attorney general and longtime prosecutor, had earned praise for her pledges not to politicize the Justice Department.

The FBIAA, a voluntary professional association representing more than 14,000 active and retired FBI special agents, urged Congress to take action to protect FBI personnel.