Former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi appears in closed session Congressional hearing Lawmakers want answers about unreleased documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
But Mr. Bondi on Friday defended the Justice Department’s practices, saying it had released nearly 3 million pages of records during his tenure, including photographic and video evidence. She described these efforts as an unprecedented effort to increase transparency.
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“This was a very complex and labor-intensive process,” Bondi told the House Oversight Committee. “To my knowledge, the department has produced everything required under the Epstein File Transparency Act.”
Since taking office for his second term, President Donald Trump has been under pressure to release records related to convicted sex offender Epstein, who died in custody in 2019 in an apparent suicide.
But victims’ advocates and a bipartisan group of politicians argued that key documents related to the case remained unreleased or were illegally redacted in black ink.
Some have accused the Trump administration of not complying with the Epstein File Transparency Act. The law, passed in November, requires all Justice Department documents related to sex offenders to be released within 30 days.
However, Bondi insisted that any seized documents were properly scrutinized under the law.
“A team of experts who reviewed all the material we collected assured us that the only material withheld was unresponsive, privileged or duplicate material,” she said.
But she acknowledged that there were flaws in the release of the Epstein files, including the redactions.
“There was an editing error,” Bondi said. “But from day one of this process, the department has been committed to accountability and transparency.”
Critics say the department has failed on both fronts. They allege that Justice Department officials released names and photos of victims that had not been made public, while continuing to redact information that should have been made public.
The schedule for information disclosure has also been criticized. Although the law required all documents to be released by December, the Justice Department finally announced that the documents were released on January 31st.
“I want all the documents.”
Before the hearing, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said the goal was to get answers about unreleased records.
“I want all the documents. I don’t want anything to be withheld,” Comer told reporters.
“We want to tell the American people the truth. We want to give justice to the survivors. And again, this case has not been thoroughly investigated. I think that’s one thing we can all understand.”
The Epstein scandal has dogged the Trump administration since the Republican leader took office for a second term in 2025.
Trump administration officials have promised transparency about the Epstein scandal, but critics say that promise has not been fulfilled.
New reports last year also raised questions about the nature of Trump’s relationship with Epstein, a wealthy financier who cultivated a prominent social circle of politicians, academics, cultural figures and business leaders.
Trump and Epstein had an interaction in the 1990s and early 2000s. But President Trump has repeatedly maintained that he cut ties with Epstein before he pleaded guilty to pimping a minor in 2008.
Epstein was facing federal charges of sex trafficking at the time of his death. Experts estimate his toll could number in the hundreds.
The Trump administration has denied allegations that it covered up records to protect the president.
Bondi ‘deeply sorry’ for survivors’ pain
Friday was not the first time Bondi faced questions on Capitol Hill over his handling of the Epstein scandal.
In March, for example, the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed Mr. Bondi and forced him to testify as part of its investigation.
She and then-Assistant Attorney General Todd Blanche then appeared in a closed session, but Democrats left, claiming the hearing was “sham” because it was not conducted under oath.
Friday’s hearing itself consisted of transcribed interviews rather than sworn or videotaped testimony. Comer explained that this format was necessary to ensure participation.
Bondi was fired on April 2 amid mounting criticism of his handling of the Epstein file.
Some Democrats have raised the possibility of contempt charges against Bondi, who has refused to fully cooperate with the House investigation.
Bondi’s appearance on Friday came just days after she revealed she was undergoing treatment for thyroid cancer and recovering from surgery.
During the hearing, Bondi expressed sympathy for Epstein’s victims and said he “deeply regrets” what they have endured “because of that monster.”
She also explained that she is not solely responsible for meeting the requirements of the Epstein File Transparency Act.
“As the head of a large department with broad responsibilities, I did not lead every aspect of this effort or conduct the document review myself,” Bondi said.
Instead, she named her second-in-command and said she has “delegated oversight of this process to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.”
After Friday’s briefing, the committee’s top Democrat, Robert Garcia, accused the administration of continuing to shield Trump from scrutiny.
Garcia claimed that Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who accompanied Bondi to his hearing, repeatedly intervened to block questions about the president’s connection to the case and the release of files.
“So the Department of Justice has now stopped asking questions about President Trump and what happened in the release of these files and why so many survivors were identified and that information released to the public,” Garcia told reporters.
Survivors also gathered outside the hearing room and called for public testimony under oath.
“To date, the Justice Department has done everything they can to intimidate survivors,” said Dani Bensky, one of Epstein’s survivors.
“I just hope that she has a moment where she remembers her own humanity and our humanity, finds compassion, and remembers that this is a bigger story than political rhetoric.”
The House Oversight Committee is expected to continue its investigation with further interviews, including interviews with tech entrepreneur Bill Gates, who had ties to Epstein, retired Goldman Sachs general counsel Kathryn Ruemmler, and former Barclays CEO Jess Staley.
