U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanchet arrive for a private conference with members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform about the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein investigation and compliance with the Epstein File Transparency Act at the Capitol in Washington, DC, on March 18, 2026.
Nathan Howard | Reuters
Former Attorney General Pam Bondi will appear before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on May 29, the committee announced Wednesday.
The committee majority announced the appearance on the same day that Democratic lawmakers announced they had begun the process of charging Bondi with civil contempt for failing to appear in scheduled testimony earlier this month. The committee had subpoenaed Bondi to testify about the handling of Justice Department files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“This is all staged and completely unnecessary. They were happy to give the Clintons a free pass for months. We secured Bondi’s May 29th appearance,” the House Oversight Committee majority posted on X in response to Democrats’ disdainful statement. “Today, as we enact legislation to address fraud at the federal level, all Democrats can talk about is Epstein.”
Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton fought the subpoena for several months, but both ultimately testified before the committee in February. The House Oversight Committee, chaired by Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), subpoenaed Bondi in March.
The committee’s ranking member, Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), and all other Democrats filed a contempt motion Wednesday, alleging that Bondi “unlawfully defied this committee.”
“Ms. Bondi has extensive personal knowledge of the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein file, and regardless of her position, her testimony and cooperation are critical. Victims of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse deserve answers, and the American people have a right to know the truth,” Garcia said in a statement.
President Donald Trump fired Bondi on April 2. She was scheduled to testify before the Oversight Committee on April 14. Bondi had been heavily criticized for his handling of the Epstein file. Last week, the Justice Department’s internal watchdog agency announced it was investigating the department’s compliance with a 2025 law that would force full disclosure of files.
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), who led the Senate bill to force the release of the Epstein file, announced Tuesday that Congress’ independent watchdog, the Government Accountability Office, would also investigate the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein file.
