US Attorney General Pam Bondi forcefully defended the Justice Department’s handling of newly released Jeffrey Epstein files during a combative four-hour appearance before the House Judiciary Committee, as the hearing devolved at times into sharp personal exchanges and partisan confrontation.
In her opening remarks, Bondi described Epstein as a “monster” and addressed several survivors seated behind her, expressing sympathy for the abuse they endured. But the tone quickly shifted as lawmakers both Democrats and Republicans pressed her over alleged failures in how the department redacted sensitive materials before releasing millions of investigative documents earlier this year.
Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal accused the department of improperly disclosing identifying details of victims, including, in some cases, explicit images. She asked survivors in attendance to stand if they had been unable to meet with Justice Department officials; all rose. Jayapal urged Bondi to apologize for what she characterized as mishandling. Bondi dismissed the criticism as political “theatrics” and rejected claims of systemic negligence, stating that any inadvertently released names were promptly re-redacted.
Survivor Marina Lacerda later told reporters that the department had ignored outreach from victims and accused officials of attempting to silence them. Bondi maintained that staff worked within strict legislative deadlines while prioritizing victim protection.
Representative Thomas Massie questioned why certain names had initially been blacked out in documents made available to lawmakers for review. He described the controversy as potentially more consequential than Watergate and demanded accountability for what he termed procedural failures.
Bondi pushed back, calling the line of questioning politically motivated. FBI Director Kash Patel, appearing alongside her, stated there was “no evidence” that Epstein trafficked women to retail magnate Les Wexner, whose name appeared in the files. Wexner has previously said he cooperated fully with investigators and was never considered a target.
The hearing also touched on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who has denied wrongdoing related to Epstein and settled a civil lawsuit in 2022 without admitting liability. Representative Ted Lieu displayed a photo from the files and questioned why prosecutors had not pursued charges. Bondi countered that prior Justice Department leadership should answer those concerns.
Beyond Epstein, Democrats challenged Bondi over federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis that resulted in two fatal shootings and subsequent protests. Bondi defended federal agents and accused local officials of undermining law enforcement. Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and other Republicans praised her immigration policies.
