Attorney General Pam Bondi forcefully defended the Justice Department (DOJ) during a contentious House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday, repeatedly clashing with Democratic lawmakers over the handling of Jeffrey Epstein-related records and lingering disputes tied to past investigations involving President Donald Trump.
The hearing turned combative early as several Democrats pressed Bondi on the department’s release of Epstein documents.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) demanded that Bondi face several Epstein survivors in the room and apologize for what she described as harm caused by the DOJ’s handling of the files.
Bondi rejected the premise, calling the request political theatrics.
“Congresswoman, you sat before—[Former AG] Merrick Garland sat in this chair twice,” Bondi began before being interrupted.
As cross-talk escalated, she added, “Because she doesn’t like the answer,” later saying, “I’m not going to get in the gutter for her theatrics.”
Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) repeatedly reminded members that witnesses are allowed to answer in their own way, Fox News reported.
Minutes later, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) pressed Bondi about the lack of indictments against alleged Epstein co-conspirators.
“How many of Epstein’s co-conspirators have you even indicted? How many people are even under investigation?” he asked.
Bondi responded sharply amid interruptions, asserting, “I’m gonna answer the question the way I want to answer the question. Your theatrics are ridiculous.”
Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) accused Bondi of attempting to “filibuster” the hearing.
Bondi fired back, “You don’t tell me anything,” further intensifying the already heated exchange.
The confrontations underscored the ongoing partisan tensions surrounding accountability and transparency in high-profile investigations.
Bondi also shifted the focus to broader political disputes, challenging Democrats over their past impeachment efforts against Trump related to the Russia investigation.
“Have you APOLOGIZED to President Trump, ALL OF YOU, who participated in the [Russia Hoax] impeachment hearings?” she demanded, calling attention to grievances long cited by Trump and his allies.
Addressing scrutiny over the Epstein files, Bondi emphasized that the case predates the current administration.
“You talk about Epstein today, this has been around since the OBAMA ADMIN! WE released 3 MILLION documents, and Donald Trump signed that law,” she said, noting Democrats had failed to pursue the matter aggressively during prior administrations.
Democrats defended their oversight role and accused the department of failing to meet congressional expectations for transparency.
Jayapal concluded her questioning by alleging a “massive cover-up” and urging Bondi to address survivors directly in the chamber.
Republicans largely refrained from the shouting matches but later praised Bondi’s performance, with clips of the exchanges circulating widely online.
Supporters described her responses as a direct rebuttal to what they view as politically motivated attacks, while critics portrayed the hearing as emblematic of ongoing partisan divisions.
The hearing highlighted that disputes over the Epstein files, the Russia probe, and past impeachment proceedings continue to dominate Capitol Hill.
With both parties framing the issues around accountability, Wednesday’s session made clear that partisan battles over these high-profile cases remain far from settled.
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