Topline
Former Attorney General Pam Bondi testified before the House Oversight Committee on Friday, defending the agency’s handling of the Epstein files while refusing to answer questions about President Donald Trump’s involvement with the files—sparking accusations from Democrats the hearing was a “sham.”
Former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi arrives to testify at a closed-door interview with the House Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill on May 29 in Washington, DC.
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Key Facts
Bondi testified Friday before the House Oversight Committee as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and the Epstein files, telling Congress in an opening statement she believed the DOJ “produced everything required” under federal law from the Epstein files, but admitted there were “redaction errors” in the files that were released.
The former AG told Congress she believed the DOJ “produced everything required” under federal law from the Epstein files, but admitted there were “redaction errors” in the files that were released and claimed she delegated oversight over the files’ release to then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Democrats told reporters during a break in questioning that Bondi had refused to discuss Trump’s involvement with the Epstein files—along with many other subjects, as DOJ lawyers who attended the interview with Bondi directed her to decline to answer a number of questions.
Bondi also refused to answer questions about Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell being transferred to a lower-security prison facility, Democrats said Friday, claiming Bondi said those questions had to be directed to the Bureau of Prisons and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Bondi pushed back against the committee’s Democrats on X after the hearing ended Friday, arguing Democrats’ claims that she deflected blame onto Blanche for how the DOJ handled the Epstein files were “NOT TRUE” and accusing Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., of “misrepresent[ing]” comments she made about Trump.
Her interview took place behind closed doors, and while it will be transcribed—and likely released to the public—it was not recorded and was not under oath.
Democrats have criticized the committee’s handling of the closed-door interview, with the committee’s ranking member Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., telling reporters Friday lawmakers on the left “continue to be incredibly disappointed about the decision to not have this interview videotaped and then released to the American public.”
What To Watch For
It won’t be clear exactly what else Bondi told lawmakers Friday until a full transcript of her interview is released publicly, which likely won’t happen for at least a few days.
Chief Critic
“It’s a sham in there. They are not answering any questions,” Rep. Dave Min, D-Calif., told reporters Friday about Bondi’s testimony during a break in questioning, while Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., described the hearing as a “ridiculous charade” that showed “the Department of Justice has been weaponized by Donald Trump to ensure that the most massive cover up in American history is carried out.”
What Pam Bondi Said In Her Opening Statement
“To the best of my knowledge, the Department produced everything required under the Epstein Files Transparency Act,” Bondi told Congress on Friday, as quoted by multiple outlets. “As the head of a large Department with broad responsibilities, I did not lead every aspect of this effort or conduct that document review myself. I delegated oversight over this process to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. The team of professionals who reviewed all of the materials that we collected assured me the only materials that were withheld were either non-responsive, privileged, or duplicative.” The former AG admitted “there were redaction errors,” but claimed, “Since Day One of this process, this Department has been committed to accountability and transparency.” Bondi also offered sympathy to Epstein’s victims after pointedly refusing to apologize to them in a previous congressional testimony, saying according to prepared remarks, “I am deeply sorry for what any victim has been through, especially as a result of that monster,” referring to Epstein.
Bondi Fights With Democrats After Epstein Hearing
Garcia hit back against Bondi’s post about Blanche, claiming in an X post of his own that Bondi “deflected” to Blanche “over 30 times” during the interview and said Blanche “was responsible for redactions that exposed survivors.” The X account for the Democrats on the House Oversight Committee separately shared Bondi’s post defending Blanche, commenting, “lol. lmao, even.” Bondi also responded to Walkinshaw’s comments to reporters, in which the lawmaker said Bondi testified she was “not certain of the extent of [Trump’s] knowledge” about Epstein’s alleged abuse. “MISREPRESENTATION by Walkinshaw,” Bondi wrote on X. “What the world knows to be true is President Trump banned Epstein from Mar a Lago decades ago bc Epstein was a despicable creep!!”
What Did Lawmakers Ask Pam Bondi About The Epstein Files?
The specific questions won’t be revealed until the transcript is released, but House Oversight chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., told reporters Friday the committee’s questioning would include asking Bondi about what documents in the Epstein files have still not been released and why, as well as questions about why information was or wasn’t redacted in what was released publicly. Garcia and Comer both confirmed Friday that lawmakers will ask the former attorney general about the Justice Department’s decision to withhold some materials in the Epstein files from the public. They are also expected to ask why some victims’ names were not properly redacted from the files, which Garcia said has put those women “in danger,” and Garcia said he would ask why the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files “continues to be some type of cover up.” Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., told reporters Friday that Bondi “absolutely could clear up many missing pieces if she wanted to” about the Epstein files, but “Now it’s a question of whether or not she is willing to be transparent.” Comer told Epstein victims who were present on Capitol Hill on Friday that he would try and get answers for them, and said if they felt there were any questions that had not been asked after seeing the transcript of Bondi’s interview, that they should let him know.
What Did Epstein Victims Say Before Bondi’s Interview?
Survivors of Epstein’s alleged abuse and advocates also criticized the House Oversight Committee’s decision not to film Bondi’s interview, with Epstein victim Dani Bensky noting to reporters the “importance of body language and inflection in the voice” that can get “lost in translation” when only a transcript is released. “It’s incredibly vital that we see filmed interviews, not just the transcription, under oath and have it be publicly released quickly,” Bensky said Friday. Victims noted the importance of getting those connected to Epstein and the Epstein files to testify in order to have “truth and accountability,” and criticized the Justice Department’s failure under Bondi’s leadership to redact or withhold certain documents with victim information, including explicit photos. “It boggles my mind that the Department of Justice released nude photos … that is unacceptable,” Sharlene Rochard told reporters.
Tangent
Bondi’s interview comes days after she confirmed she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer shortly after leaving the Justice Department in April and has been undergoing treatment. The former attorney general told CNN she was recovering from surgery but is “doing well, though,” and her diagnosis did not impact her coming into speak with Congress on Friday.
Key Background
Bondi initially promised the files would be publicly released before she and other DOJ officials abruptly reversed course last summer and announced the government’s files would remain under wraps, sparking a massive public backlash. Congress eventually forced DOJ’s hand and passed legislation requiring the files be made public. The DOJ initially missed the deadline for releasing the files and then came under fire when some pages in the released files were still missing and information about victims were not redacted while information about Epstein allies was. Bondi was ousted as attorney general in April, with reports suggesting her handling of the Epstein files was at least partially the reason. Bondi’s interview Friday comes after she was initially subpoenaed to testify last month before the committee, but canceled the interview, as the DOJ claimed she was subpoenaed in her capacity as attorney general and therefore was no longer bound to comply once she left the DOJ. Her interview was rescheduled for Friday after Democrats threatened they could hold her in contempt if she didn’t speak with the committee.