Bondi Clashes With Democrats Over Epstein Files, Defends Trump
US Attorney General Pam Bondi engaged in a contentious exchange with Democratic lawmakers during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, defending the Justice Department’s handling of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein and repeatedly clashing with committee members.
The hearing centered on the release of files mandated by a law passed last year, which required the Justice Department to fully disclose the documents with limited redactions. Democrats questioned Bondi about the department’s compliance with the law, particularly regarding the release of survivor names and the unexplained redaction of individuals potentially involved in wrongdoing.
When pressed by Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington to apologize to Epstein victims present at the hearing, Bondi refused. “I’m not going to receive in the gutter with this woman. She’s doing theatrics,” Bondi stated, according to reports from PBS News.
The hearing escalated into several heated exchanges. Bondi sparred with Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the committee, over Bondi’s lengthy responses, which Raskin argued were designed to consume the limited time allotted for questioning. Bondi retorted, yelling, “You don’t tell me anything. You’re a washed-up loser lawyer. You’re not even a lawyer,” NBC News reported.
The Justice Department has faced criticism for inconsistencies in its redaction process, including initially releasing documents that should have been withheld and subsequently removing redactions. Representative Zoe Lofgren of California questioned Bondi about the broad redactions, asserting that the department had lost credibility, CNN reported.
Bondi responded by criticizing President Trump’s detractors, stating, “I identify it interesting that she keeps going after President Trump, the greatest president in American history.” This remark drew attention as it deviated from the traditional practice of the Justice Department maintaining distance from political figures to avoid perceptions of interference, a norm reportedly broken during the Trump administration.
Bondi also accused Representative Lieu of deflection, referencing Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and his connections to Epstein. Hoffman has stated his interactions with Epstein were limited to professional engagements related to fundraising for MIT, meeting with him only six times, Politico reported.
The released files have revealed previously unknown connections between individuals close to Trump – including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, former strategist Steve Bannon, and Elon Musk – and Epstein. None of these individuals have been charged with wrongdoing in connection to Epstein.
During an exchange with Representative Ted Lieu, Bondi dismissed questions about Trump’s potential involvement with underage girls, stating, “This is so ridiculous. And they are trying to deflect from all the great things Donald Trump has done. There is no evidence that Donald Trump has committed a crime. Everyone knows that.” Lieu countered that Bondi’s response could be considered perjury, citing Epstein’s statements referencing Trump’s awareness of the girls and reports from a former Palm Beach police chief alleging Trump’s knowledge of Epstein’s activities.
Bondi vehemently denied the accusations, yelling at Lieu, “Don’t you ever accuse me of committing a crime.”
In a separate exchange with Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who sponsored the law requiring the disclosure of the files, Bondi attempted to shift blame away from the Trump administration, arguing that Massie should have pressed previous administrations regarding Epstein. Massie responded that Epstein’s sex trafficking spanned multiple administrations, including those of Obama and George W. Bush.