Bondi Dodges Epstein Files Testimony After Trump Fires Her

Pam Bondi thought getting fired would get her out of testifying. She was wrong.

The Justice Department signaled Wednesday that Bondi won't appear for her April 14 deposition before the House Oversight Committee, claiming she was subpoenaed "in her capacity as attorney general" and no longer holds that title after Trump booted her last week. The committee is investigating how DOJ bungled the release of millions of pages of Jeffrey Epstein case files -- a release riddled with errors and blown deadlines despite a congressional mandate.

Jessica Collins, a committee spokeswoman, said DOJ made its position clear: no Bondi, no testimony. The committee will now contact Bondi's personal attorney to reschedule, but lawmakers from both parties are making it clear she won't wiggle out of accountability that easily.

Rep. Nancy Mace, the South Carolina Republican who initiated the motion to subpoena Bondi, shot down the dodge attempt on social media. "Bondi cannot escape accountability simply because she no longer holds the office of Attorney General," Mace wrote, emphasizing that the subpoena was issued "by name, not by title." Translation: being fired doesn't erase your legal obligation to explain what went wrong.

Rep. Robert Garcia, the committee's top Democrat, went further. He accused Bondi of trying to evade "her legal obligation to testify before the Oversight Committee about the Epstein files and the White House cover-up" and threatened to pursue contempt of Congress charges if she continues to stonewall.

The bipartisan subpoena -- approved last month in a rare show of unity -- reflects growing frustration over DOJ's handling of the Epstein document release. The files, which detail the late financier's sex trafficking operation and abuse of underage girls, were supposed to provide transparency about how the government failed to stop Epstein for decades. Instead, the release was plagued by redaction errors, missing documents, and delays that blew past the deadline Congress set.

Bondi's sudden departure from the Cabinet adds another layer of chaos. After Trump announced her ouster on April 2, Bondi claimed she'd spend the next month "working tirelessly to transition the office." But Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has already been elevated to acting attorney general and is running the department. As of Wednesday, DOJ's website still listed Bondi as the top official -- a fitting symbol of the administration's sloppy approach to governance.

This isn't the first time the Oversight Committee has wielded subpoena power against high-profile figures. Chairman James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, enforced subpoenas on Bill and Hillary Clinton earlier this year, making them among the highest-ranking former officials ever compelled to testify before Congress. If Comer and his colleagues hold the line on Bondi, she'll join that list -- whether she likes it or not.

The Epstein files matter because they expose how powerful men evaded accountability for decades. Survivors deserve answers about who enabled Epstein, who covered for him, and why the system failed them so catastrophically. Bondi oversaw a Justice Department that fumbled the release of those answers. Getting fired doesn't erase that responsibility.

The committee hasn't announced a new deposition date, but the message from Capitol Hill is clear: Bondi will testify, one way or another.