Bondi Dodges Epstein Files Deposition After Getting Fired

Pamela Bondi thinks getting fired means she can skip out on accountability. She's wrong.

The former attorney general will not appear for her scheduled April 14 deposition before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which subpoenaed her last month to answer questions about the Justice Department's handling of Jeffrey Epstein files. The DOJ's excuse? Bondi was subpoenaed as attorney general, and since Trump fired her last week, she doesn't have to show.

That argument is not going over well with the bipartisan coalition that voted to compel her testimony.

"She cannot escape accountability simply because she no longer holds the office of Attorney General," Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., wrote on social media. The subpoena named Bondi personally, not just her title, Mace noted. "She will still have to appear before the Oversight Committee for a sworn deposition."

Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the panel, was more blunt: "Now that Pam Bondi has been fired, she's trying to get out of her legal obligation to testify before the Oversight Committee about the Epstein files and the White House cover-up."

A Pattern of Stonewalling

The deposition was supposed to address serious questions about how DOJ bungled the release of Epstein-related documents under a law Congress passed last year — over White House objections — requiring their disclosure.

Critics say the department's handling of the files has been a masterclass in protecting the powerful. DOJ failed to properly redact victim names and identifying information, exposing survivors to further harm. At the same time, the agency heavily redacted information that could identify Epstein's co-conspirators and enablers — the people who should face scrutiny.

Lawmakers argue those decisions violate the disclosure law. Democrats have gone further, accusing the Trump administration of orchestrating a cover-up to shield allies and associates from accountability.

The released files have raised urgent questions about why more people connected to Epstein's abuse have not faced Justice Department investigation. Those questions remain unanswered.

What Happens Next

The House Oversight Committee says it will contact Bondi's personal attorney to reschedule the deposition. Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., a committee member, said the subpoena does not "become null and void" just because Bondi got canned.

"She must come before the Committee," Walkinshaw said. "If she doesn't, we must immediately hold her in contempt."

Whether the committee will follow through on that threat remains to be seen. But the message from lawmakers is clear: Bondi does not get to walk away from this just because Trump threw her under the bus.

The Epstein files investigation is part of a broader fight over transparency and accountability. Congress passed the disclosure law specifically to force the release of documents the executive branch wanted to keep buried. The Trump administration lobbied against it. Now, with Bondi refusing to explain why DOJ protected potential co-conspirators while exposing victims, lawmakers are demanding answers.

Bondi can dodge the April 14 date. She cannot dodge the subpoena forever.