Attorney General Pam Bondi sparred with Democratic lawmakers in a tense House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday, as questions about the Justice Department’s handling of files tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein dominated proceedings. The hearing frequently devolved into shouting matches, underscoring deep partisan divisions over the department’s leadership and its review of millions of pages of Epstein-related records.
Bondi is facing renewed questions from lawmakers over the Justice Department’s handling of records related to Jeffrey Epstein, after newly released files exposed sensitive private information about victims despite redaction efforts.
The latest disclosures have drawn criticism from victims and Democratic lawmakers, who say the releases were incomplete and poorly handled. The controversy has added to political pressure that has followed Bondi during her tenure.
At one point, Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal asked Bondi to apologise to Epstein survivors seated in the hearing room, saying some had not been able to meet with the Justice Department. Bondi refused.
“I’m not going to get in the gutter for her theatrics,” Bondi said, later adding, “I’m not going to get in the gutter with this woman.” Jayapal accused the department of a “massive coverup” in its release of Epstein files.
Bondi defended the department’s review process, saying more than 500 reviewers and attorneys had spent thousands of hours examining documents to comply with transparency legislation while protecting victims’ identities. Any names released “inadvertently” were “immediately redacted,” she said, describing Epstein as a “monster.”
Democrats pressed Bondi over redactions, arguing that the department had shielded alleged abusers while exposing some victims’ information. Rep. Jerry Nadler questioned how many of Epstein’s “co-conspirators” had been indicted or investigated. Bondi declined to directly answer, dismissing the line of questioning as “theatrics” and saying she would not engage in the “gutter.”
Tensions escalated further when Bondi called Rep. Jamie Raskin a “washed up loser lawyer” during a dispute over speaking time.
Earlier, as Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren questioned her about references in the documents and raised concerns about Justice Department cooperation with local authorities in Minnesota, Bondi shot back: “this isn't a circus, this is a hearing”.
During another exchange, Bondi rebuked Raskin directly, saying, “I don't know why you're laughing,” after pivoting from Epstein to defend President Donald Trump’s record. She described Trump as the “most transparent president in the nation's history” and argued that Democrats were focusing on Epstein because of the country’s economic performance under Trump.
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