Attorney General Pam Bondi faced sharp criticism during thePam Bondi Epstein hearingon Wednesday after she declined to turn toward survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and offer a direct apology during a heated exchange inCongress.

The moment, brief but highly charged, shifted attention from procedural questions about the case to the government's relationship with the victims still seeking answers.

Democratic lawmakers used the hearing to spotlight what they described as a lack of engagement with survivors, many of whom were seated just behind the Attorney General.

While Bondi expressed sympathy for victims earlier in her testimony, her refusal to address them directly became a defining scene of the session and fuelled accusations that the Justice Department has mishandled the aftermath of the Epstein investigation.

The confrontation, streamed viaCBS News, unfolded when Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal asked survivors present at the hearing to raise their hands if they had still not been able to meet with the Justice Department. She then noted for the record that 'every single survivor has raised their hand.'

Turning back to Bondi, Jayapal asked her to face the victims and apologise for what she called the 'absolutely unacceptable' handling of the Epstein files and the release of their personal information.

Bondi declined to turn around, instead referencing her predecessor, former Attorney General Merrick Garland. When Jayapal repeated the request, Bondi responded, 'I'm not going to get in the gutter for her theatrics.'

Earlier in the hearing, Bondi had addressed the victims more generally in her opening remarks. 'I'm a career prosecutor and despite what the ranking member said, I have spent my entire career fighting for victims, and I will continue to do so,' she said. 'I am deeply sorry for what any victim, any victim, has been through, especially as a result of that monster.'

An image we won't soon forget. Attorney General Pam Bondi refused to look at Epstein survivors pictured behind her on the Hill today.pic.twitter.com/KYCBQCXz3Y

Democratic lawmakers continued to frame the hearing around the experiences of survivors. Rep. Jamie Raskin, the panel's top Democrat, accused Bondi of 'siding with the perpetrators' and 'ignoring the victims,' warning that such an approach could define her legacy unless she 'act[s] quickly to change course.'

Source: International Business Times UK