House Oversight Committee Moves to Compel Attorney General Pam Bondi to Testify in Epstein Investigation

Washington — A significant step was taken Wednesday when the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi, aiming to gather insights into the federal government's management of the Jeffrey Epstein case, a convicted sex offender.

Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican from South Carolina, spearheaded the motion for the subpoena, which garnered support from five Republican members alongside their Democratic counterparts. This bipartisan effort underscores the urgency surrounding the investigation.

The Republican representatives backing the subpoena included Mace, Colorado's Lauren Boebert, Tennessee's Tim Burchett, Texas's Michael Cloud, and Pennsylvania's Scott Perry. Their collective action reflects a growing concern over the handling of Epstein's case.

In response to inquiries, the Justice Department has yet to provide a comment regarding the committee's decision. This follows a previous subpoena issued to the department last August for documents related to Epstein, which was part of a broader legislative push that saw bipartisan support in Congress last year. The Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed by President Trump in November, mandated the release of all materials from the investigation, resulting in millions of records being made public.

Before the vote, Rep. James Comer, chair of the Oversight Committee and a Republican from Kentucky, noted that Bondi had offered to brief committee members on Epstein-related files and other pertinent matters at the Justice Department.

Rep. Robert Garcia, the leading Democrat on the panel from California, emphasized that there are "significant questions" regarding how the Justice Department has managed the release of investigation materials. "The attorney general has spoken to other committees," he stated. "It’s crucial for her to address our committee directly, answering questions about file releases and ensuring transparency for victims and survivors."

Last month, Bondi testified before the House Judiciary Committee during a hearing focused on oversight of the Justice Department. During this session, she faced intense scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers who accused her of facilitating a "cover-up" that protected individuals named in the extensive documentation while neglecting to redact the identities of Epstein's abuse survivors.

The Justice Department has also faced backlash regarding the slow pace of document releases. Although the Epstein Files Transparency Act set a deadline for all materials to be disclosed by December 19, 2025, the department has opted to release documents in batches. Initial disclosures drew criticism for containing minimal references to former President Trump, although subsequent releases did include mentions of him. Notably, Trump has not been implicated in any wrongdoing related to Epstein.

An analysis revealed that tens of thousands of files were removed by the Justice Department, some containing explicit images or survivor information. However, the rationale behind removing other files, such as a call log with redacted names, remains unclear.

Bondi is not alone in facing questions from the committee; Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is also under scrutiny due to his connections with Epstein. Lutnick has agreed to an interview with the panel, although a date for his testimony has yet to be established.

Documents released by the Justice Department indicated that Lutnick had maintained communication with Epstein even after claiming to have severed ties in 2005. This correspondence occurred during a period following Epstein's guilty plea to state prostitution charges in Florida in 2008 and leading up to his death by suicide in 2019 after being indicted on federal sex-trafficking charges.

The Oversight Committee's investigation into how Epstein's case was handled includes seeking testimony from various former officials and individuals close to him, as well as obtaining documents from Epstein's estate.

Recently, investigators conducted closed-door depositions with former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Videos from these depositions were released earlier this week. Clinton remarked about Epstein, stating, "There's nothing that I saw when I was around him that made me realize he was trafficking women." Hillary Clinton added that she knew "nothing about him."