Bondi Dodges Epstein Files Testimony After Trump Fires Her

Pam Bondi was subpoenaed to testify about the Justice Department's bungled release of the Epstein files. Now that Donald Trump has fired her, she's trying to weasel out of it.

The Department of Justice signaled Wednesday that Bondi won't appear for her scheduled April 14 deposition before the House Oversight Committee, arguing she was subpoenaed "in her capacity as attorney general" and no longer holds that position. It's a convenient excuse for someone facing tough questions about how DOJ mishandled millions of case files on Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier and serial abuser of underage girls.

The Republican-led committee subpoenaed Bondi in a bipartisan vote last month after the department's Epstein document release turned into a disaster. The files contained multiple errors and blew past a congressional deadline. Now lawmakers from both parties want answers, and Bondi's sudden departure from the Cabinet doesn't change that.

"Bondi cannot escape accountability simply because she no longer holds the office of Attorney General," Rep. Nancy Mace said on social media. The South Carolina Republican, who initiated the motion to compel Bondi's testimony, emphasized that the subpoena was issued "by name, not by title."

Rep. Robert Garcia, the committee's top Democrat, went further and threatened contempt of Congress charges if Bondi refuses to appear. "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," the California congressman said in a statement.

The timing raises obvious questions. Trump announced Bondi's ouster on April 2, less than two weeks before her scheduled testimony. After the firing, Bondi claimed on social media she would spend the next month "working tirelessly to transition the office." But Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has already been elevated to perform the duties of attorney general, at least on an acting basis. As of Wednesday, the Justice Department's website still listed Bondi as AG, adding to the confusion about who's actually running the department.

The Epstein files saga has been a black eye for DOJ from the start. Congress mandated the release of case files related to Epstein's sex trafficking operation and the government's investigations into his crimes. The public had a right to know how federal prosecutors handled one of the most high-profile abuse cases in recent history, especially given persistent questions about whether Epstein's wealth and connections shielded him from accountability.

Instead of transparency, the department delivered chaos. The document dump was riddled with errors and arrived late, fueling suspicions that DOJ was dragging its feet or worse, actively trying to obscure what happened. Bondi was the person in charge when this mess unfolded, which is exactly why the committee wants her under oath.

Committee chair James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, has shown he's willing to enforce subpoenas against high-ranking officials. Earlier this year, he compelled testimony from Bill and Hillary Clinton, making them among the highest-ranking former government officials ever subpoenaed by Congress. If Comer applies the same standard to Bondi, she'll have a hard time avoiding the witness chair.

The committee's spokeswoman, Jessica Collins, said lawmakers will contact Bondi's personal counsel to schedule the interview. That's Washington-speak for "we're not done with you yet."

Bondi's attempt to dodge accountability fits a broader pattern in this administration: officials who oversee scandals or failures suddenly find reasons they can't answer for them. But this subpoena has bipartisan backing, which makes it harder to dismiss as partisan theater. Republicans and Democrats both want to know why the Epstein files release was such a disaster, and whether the White House interfered.

The Epstein case isn't going away. Survivors of his abuse deserve answers about how the justice system failed them. The public deserves to know whether powerful people got special treatment. And Congress has a constitutional duty to conduct oversight, regardless of whether the person being questioned still has a government title.

Bondi can try to run out the clock, but the subpoena has her name on it. If she refuses to appear, she'll be the one deciding whether this becomes a contempt fight. Given the bipartisan anger over the Epstein files debacle, that's not a battle she's likely to win.