House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer formally served Attorney General Pam Bondi with a subpoena on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, compelling her to testify before Congress about the Department of Justice’s management of the federal investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The subpoena was issued by Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, and requires Bondi to appear for a closed-door deposition on April 14.
The investigation covers potential mismanagement of the federal probe into Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, the circumstances surrounding Epstein’s death, and how the pair may have used their influence over elected officials to shield their sex-trafficking operations.
In his letter to Bondi, Comer stated: “As Attorney General, you are directly responsible for overseeing the Department’s collection, review, and determinations regarding the release of files pursuant to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and the Committee therefore believes that you possess valuable insight into these efforts.”
The committee voted on March 4 to approve the motion to subpoena Bondi, with five Republicans voting alongside all Democrats to move the matter forward.
The motion was introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), CBS News reported.
The panel wants to question Bondi about the DOJ’s compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which passed with overwhelming support in Congress and was signed into law by President Donald Trump in mid-November.
The DOJ failed to meet the legal deadline for fully releasing the files in December.
MS NOW said that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the department would release the Epstein files on a rolling basis, which appeared to conflict with the law mandating the full release of “all unclassified records” by December 19, 2025.
Only about half of the files in the Justice Department’s possession appear to have been released. Blanche has said the department reviewed 6 million total pages.
According to a CBS News analysis, the department has released about 3 million pages of documents in several batches.
Tens of thousands of files, some of which contained explicit images or survivors’ information, have been removed.
The stalled release prompted strong reactions from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) considered holding Bondi in inherent contempt of Congress. Khanna also raised the possibility of impeaching Bondi over the file mismanagement.
Members of Congress were permitted to visit the DOJ personally to review unredacted files with only pen and paper, but that arrangement ultimately created a new controversy.
During a Congressional hearing, Bondi revealed she possessed records documenting which files each lawmaker on the Oversight Committee had reviewed during those visits.
The disclosure prompted a rare rebuke from Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, according to reports.
ClickOrlando reported that the Department of Justice responded Tuesday by calling the subpoena “completely unnecessary.”
The department also stated: “Lawmakers have been invited to view the unredacted files for themselves at the Department of Justice, and the Attorney General has always made herself available to speak directly with members of Congress.”
Despite the subpoena for a formal deposition in April, a more immediate meeting is already scheduled.
Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche are set to give committee members a private briefing on Wednesday, March 18, a session organized separately from the subpoena.
The committee has conducted sworn interviews with former President Bill Clinton and former first lady Hillary Clinton, as well as retail billionaire Leslie Wexner, over their ties to Epstein.
All have denied any involvement in or knowledge of Epstein’s illegal activities.
