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Bondi defends DOJ amid heated congressional hearing
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi faced sharp criticism from lawmakers on Wednesday during a contentious House Judiciary Committee hearing, where she defended the Justice Department's handling of Jeffrey Epstein's case files and federal policing actions.
Epstein files spark outrage over redactions
The hearing followed the Justice Department's release of millions of documents earlier this year related to Epstein, a convicted sex offender with high-profile connections. Several of Epstein's victims attended the session, seated behind Bondi as lawmakers questioned her about the department's redaction process.
Bondi opened by calling Epstein a "monster" and expressing sympathy for the victims. However, lawmakers accused the DOJ of failing to properly redact victims' names and sensitive material, including nude images of survivors. Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal asked victims to stand if they had not been consulted by the department-all rose in response.
When Jayapal demanded an apology, Bondi dismissed her remarks as "theatrics" and refused to engage further, later calling the congresswoman's approach inappropriate.
"I'm not going to get in the gutter with this woman."
Pam Bondi, U.S. Attorney General
Survivors accuse DOJ of neglect
Marina Lacerda, an Epstein survivor, told the BBC that Bondi and the Justice Department had ignored survivors' attempts to communicate. "She hasn't taken any of our calls. She hasn't taken any of our emails," Lacerda said, accusing officials of attempting to "intimidate us into silence."
Dispute over redacted names deepens
Lawmakers from both parties challenged Bondi over the redaction of names in the Epstein files, including those of individuals not legally protected. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie compared the issue to "Watergate," alleging it spanned multiple administrations. Bondi called the criticism a "political joke" but acknowledged some names were inadvertently released and later redacted.
FBI Director Kash Patel interjected to state there was "no evidence" Epstein trafficked women to billionaire Les Wexner, whose name was initially redacted. Wexner's legal team previously said he was treated as a witness, not a target, in the investigation.
Photos of Prince Andrew raise questions
Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu displayed an image from the Epstein files showing Prince Andrew (now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor) in a compromising position with an unidentified woman. Lieu questioned why the photos hadn't been used to prosecute the former prince, who settled a lawsuit with Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre in 2022 without admitting wrongdoing.
Bondi redirected Lieu's question to former Attorney General Merrick Garland, prompting Lieu to agree that Garland had "dropped the ball."
Fatal shootings by federal agents draw scrutiny
The hearing also addressed the fatal shooting of two individuals by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, which sparked nationwide protests. Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen called the shootings "executions" and criticized the DOJ's lack of investigation. Bondi defended the agents, claiming local officials had incited violence and obstructed law enforcement.
Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, a Republican, praised Bondi's enforcement of President Trump's immigration policies, further polarizing the session.
Hearing descends into chaos
The four-hour session grew increasingly tense, with Bondi at one point calling a Democratic lawmaker a "washed-up loser." Another representative stormed out after a heated exchange. Despite the acrimony, Bondi maintained that the DOJ had acted within legal constraints to protect victims while complying with disclosure requirements.
