Bondi Dodges Epstein Testimony After Getting Fired, Claims She's Off the Hook

Pam Bondi thinks getting fired means she can dodge accountability. She's wrong.

The former Attorney General was subpoenaed last month to testify before the House Oversight Committee about the Justice Department's handling of files related to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. The subpoena, approved with bipartisan support including five Republicans, required Bondi to appear for a closed-door deposition on April 14.

Now the Justice Department says she won't show up because she's no longer Attorney General. The committee issued the subpoena while she held the position, and DOJ is claiming that lets her walk away from her legal obligation to testify.

Democrats aren't buying it. Neither are some Republicans.

"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," said Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the committee. "Our bipartisan subpoena is to Pam Bondi, whether she is the Attorney General or not. She must come in to testify immediately, and if she defies the subpoena, we will begin contempt charges in the Congress."

What Bondi Oversaw at DOJ

As Attorney General, Bondi was responsible for the Justice Department's review and release of files related to the federal investigation into Epstein and Maxwell. Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act requiring DOJ to make these documents public by December 19.

The department released roughly 3 million pages out of more than 6 million total pages. Top officials said half the material was withheld for various reasons, including protecting survivors' personal information or avoiding interference with active investigations.

But the actual handling of the release was a disaster. The Justice Department disclosed documents in a series of releases through the end of January instead of meeting the December deadline. Democrats and Republicans slammed DOJ for inconsistent redactions that shielded the identities of powerful people in early releases while failing to protect survivors' names and personal details in others.

A CBS News analysis found that DOJ took down tens of thousands of files after initially posting them. Some contained explicit images or survivors' information that should never have been made public. But the reasons for removing other files, like a call log with redacted names, remain unclear.

Bipartisan Push for Answers

GOP Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California sent a letter to Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer on Wednesday urging him to reaffirm Bondi's obligation to testify. Mace offered the motion to subpoena Bondi, and Khanna introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

"The removal of Pam Bondi as Attorney General does not diminish the Committee's legitimate oversight interests in seeking her sworn testimony or the need for accountability and information about files withheld from the public by the DOJ," they wrote. "On the contrary, it makes her sworn testimony even more important, especially with respect to actions she took as Attorney General, matters already under investigation, and decisions made under her leadership."

Mace and Khanna said "serious questions remain" about what they described as DOJ's failure to comply with the Epstein files law and its handling of the investigation into Epstein and his associates while Bondi was in charge.

The Timing Raises Questions

Bondi was ousted from her post last week after Trump announced her deputy, Todd Blanche, would serve as acting attorney general. She initially said she would stay on for a month to help with the transition. But Blanche held a press conference Tuesday as the acting head of DOJ, and the department has referred to him as such ever since, indicating he has officially taken over.

The timing is convenient. Bondi gets fired just days before she's supposed to answer questions under oath about why DOJ protected powerful people's names while exposing survivors, why half the documents were withheld, and why the department missed its legal deadline to release the files.

The Oversight Committee says it will contact Bondi's personal counsel to discuss next steps for scheduling her deposition. Garcia made clear that if she refuses to appear, the committee will pursue contempt charges.

Survivors of Epstein's abuse deserve answers about why the Justice Department fumbled the release of these files and what was in the 3 million pages that remain hidden. Bondi oversaw that process. Getting fired doesn't erase that responsibility or give her a pass on testifying about what happened on her watch.