Bondi's Defiant Defense of Epstein Files Sparks Outrage in Congress

Former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi stood firm in her defense of the Epstein files during a closed-door interview with the House Oversight Committee, asserting that the document review was overseen by then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Bondi claimed, "The bottom line is: justice and transparency in this matter have been delivered at the direction of President Trump and his administration," in a prepared statement.

The Republican-led committee subpoenaed Bondi for this transcribed interview to scrutinize her role in the Department of Justice's release of millions of documents tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

She acknowledged "redaction errors" in the released files but insisted that the Department was committed to accountability and transparency from the outset.

Bondi described the release process as "enormously complicated and labor-intensive," clarifying that she did not personally conduct the document review but delegated oversight to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who has been acting attorney general since Bondi's departure from her position.

"Our diligent and good faith effort to collect materials ensured that all potentially responsive documents that could be reasonably located would see the light of day," she stated.

Bondi expressed her commitment to fighting for victims, stating, "I am deeply sorry for what any victim has been through, especially as a result of that monster."

During the interview, House Democrats reported that Bondi frequently deferred to Blanche when questioned about the files.

Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost noted, "Every single one of our questions got one of three responses. One: 'Not to my recollection' or 'I don't know.' Number two: 'Talk with Todd Blanche — I don't know anything about it.' And number three: 'I am not talking about Donald Trump.'

California Rep. Robert Garcia demanded that both Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel answer questions before the committee.

Representatives for Bondi included Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights, and Jonathan Guynn, deputy assistant attorney general in the civil division. Dhillon explained that Bondi's deferrals were standard practice for delegating parts of the attorney general's responsibilities.

Critics, including survivors and Democrats, have condemned Bondi's management of the Epstein files, alleging contradictory statements about document contents, exposure of survivors' identities, and removal of key files related to President Trump. Epstein died in a New York prison cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.

Bondi's testimony mirrored her previous defenses regarding the department's handling of the Epstein files, where she claimed missteps occurred due to a tight timeline imposed by Congress for reviewing millions of pages.

"To address the Epstein files, more than 500 attorneys and reviewers spent thousands of hours painstakingly reviewing millions of pages to comply with Congress' law," she stated in February. "We've released more than 3 million pages, including 180,000 images, all to the public while doing our very best in the time frame allotted by the legislation to protect victims."

Trump had promised significant information on Epstein during his campaign for a second term, but even some supporters criticized Bondi for failing to fulfill that promise.

Dani Bensky, a survivor who claims Epstein abused her as a young ballerina, stated, "We haven't seen the full release of the files, so that's already a violation of the law," adding that Bondi's handling of the files without proper redactions "sends such a chilling effect to the rest of the survivor community."

A group of survivors, including Bensky, protested outside the proceedings, holding documents and demanding transparency while wearing butterfly pins for Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide in 2025. They identified specific documents they claimed could serve as "leads" for the DOJ.

Bensky declared, "Pam Bondi and Todd Blanche have derailed the lives of so many survivors. They have serious questions to answer for. So for the Epsteinth time, when do we get investigations? And who the hell are we protecting?"

Committee Chair James Comer announced that Bondi would be the 13th interview conducted regarding Epstein, with six more planned, including Bill Gates.

Comer stated, "The government has failed the survivors," emphasizing that they are taking this investigation seriously.

He pledged to ask questions aimed at obtaining "justice for the survivors."

Garcia expressed disappointment that the interview would not be videotaped or conducted under oath.

He remarked, "We obviously have a lot of questions as it relates to why only 50% of the files have been released, why many of the survivors … were literally put in danger by the way the files were released – that private information should never have been released. And of course, why this continues to be some type of cover up."

The closed-door nature of Friday's interview drew heightened scrutiny due to its lack of videotaping and oath-taking.

The House Oversight Committee has previously questioned several high-profile individuals about Epstein, including Ghislaine Maxwell and others. The committee videotaped and released recordings from some depositions to the public. Bondi's transcription will be released similarly.

Bensky insisted on a proper sworn deposition that is filmed and released: "We deserve to hear every inflection, see every reaction, and digest this information in real time so that we can figure out a response for ourselves as a nation. We deserve more than closed-door, backroom deals."

Bondi's tenure was also marked by criticism from legal experts who accused her of weaponizing the department to further Trump's agenda.