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

Pam Bondi was subpoenaed to explain the Justice Department's disastrous handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Now that Donald Trump has fired her, the department claims she doesn't have to show up.

In a letter obtained by the Guardian, Assistant Attorney General Patrick Davis told House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer that because Bondi "no longer holds that office," the subpoena compelling her April 14 deposition is no longer valid. The department is asking the committee to withdraw it entirely.

The committee is not withdrawing anything.

"The cover-up continues, but we will fight for accountability," said Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, who co-signed a letter with Republican Representative Nancy Mace demanding Bondi honor the subpoena regardless of her employment status.

Why Bondi Was Subpoenaed in the First Place

The House Oversight Committee issued a formal subpoena to Bondi last month after the Justice Department blew past the December 19 deadline set by the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The department did not release what it claimed were the full files until January 31, more than a month late.

When the files finally came out, survivors of Epstein's trafficking network discovered their sensitive personal information had been exposed in the documents. The committee wanted answers about both the delay and the privacy violations.

"As Attorney General, you are directly responsible for overseeing the Department's collection, review, and determinations regarding the release of files pursuant to the Epstein Files Transparency Act," Comer wrote in the subpoena letter.

The subpoena passed with bipartisan support. Five Republicans joined Democrats in a March 4 vote authorizing it. At the time, Bondi's Justice Department called the subpoena "completely unnecessary."

Trump Fires Bondi, DoJ Claims That Voids Congressional Oversight

Trump ousted Bondi from her post on Thursday. By Friday, the committee was already discussing whether her firing affected the subpoena. By Wednesday, the Justice Department had its answer: Bondi was subpoenaed in her official capacity, so now that she's not Attorney General anymore, she doesn't have to comply.

That argument does not hold water with lawmakers from either party.

"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," Khanna and Mace wrote in their Tuesday letter to Comer.

Representative Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, 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."

Garcia made clear what happens if Bondi defies the subpoena: "We will begin contempt charges in the Congress. The survivors deserve justice."

A Pattern of Obstruction

The Justice Department's handling of the Epstein files has been a mess from the start. Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act to force the release of documents related to Epstein's trafficking operation and the powerful men in his orbit. The law set a clear deadline. The department missed it by more than a month and offered no explanation.

When the files finally came out, they contained sensitive information about survivors that should have been redacted. That is not just a bureaucratic failure. It is re-traumatizing people who were already victimized by Epstein and failed by the institutions that were supposed to protect them.

Now the person who oversaw that failure is refusing to answer questions about it, and the department she used to run is providing legal cover for her silence.

Bondi's personal counsel will reportedly be contacted to discuss rescheduling her deposition. Whether she agrees to show up voluntarily remains to be seen. If she does not, the committee has made clear it will pursue contempt charges.

The Epstein files are not just about one dead predator. They are about a network of enablers, a system that protected wealthy abusers, and institutions that continue to prioritize their own interests over accountability. Every delay, every missed deadline, every refusal to testify is another brick in that wall.

Survivors are watching. So is Congress. And firing the Attorney General does not make the questions go away.