Bondi Faces Closed-Door Grilling in House Epstein Probe Over Document Handling
Rep. James Walkinshaw previews line of questioning for Bondi's Epstein deposition 07:05
Fifteen months after she declared that a list of Jeffrey Epstein's clients was “sitting on my desk right now,” and four months after overseeing the release of millions of related documents, former Attorney General Pam Bondi sat for a closed-door interview Friday with the House Oversight Committee, answering questions about her management of the so-called Epstein files.
Unlike previous high-profile testimonies in the sprawling congressional investigation — which have included former President Bill Clinton and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, both questioned about their ties to the deceased sex offender — Bondi’s testimony carried a different weight. She was never part of Epstein’s globe-trotting network of powerful friends. Instead, she had spent more than a year under withering bipartisan criticism over how the Justice Department handled the Epstein probe and the release of documents after President Donald Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Bondi made no comment as she arrived for the transcribed interview Friday morning. As she entered, Epstein survivors shouted, “Tell the truth.”
In her opening statement, Bondi acknowledged “there were redaction errors” in the released files but defended her tenure. “I am proud of the Department’s record and commitment to transparency under my leadership. We demonstrated an unprecedented commitment to transparency in the Department’s search for, collection, and review of the Epstein files,” she said.
She described the effort to release roughly 3 million pages as “an enormously complicated and labor-intensive process.” She added, “To the best of my knowledge, the Department produced everything required under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.”
The committee will release a transcript of the interview but not a video recording. GOP Rep. James Comer, the Oversight Committee chairman, said before entering that Bondi would face questions about “what documents remain, why they haven’t been turned over.”
“We’re going to try to determine whether or not there can be more documents legally turned over. I want every document, I don’t want anything held back, and I think the majority of the committee’s the same way,” said Comer, who represents Kentucky’s 1st Congressional District.
Soon after, the committee’s top Democrat criticized the circumstances of Friday’s appearance. “We continue to be incredibly disappointed of the decision to not have this interview videotaped and then released to the American public,” said Rep. Robert Garcia of California.
The controversy dates back to Bondi’s early days as attorney general. In February 2025, shortly after taking office, she told a Fox News interviewer that a “client list” was “sitting on my desk right now to review.” She later clarified she meant material related to Epstein — not a specific list. In July 2025, the Justice Department released a memo concluding there was no “client list” and “that no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.” That memo sparked bipartisan outrage in Congress, leading to a push for legislation mandating the release of files. Days later, Trump ordered Bondi to seek the release of grand jury transcripts tied to Epstein cases.
Bondi faced months of heated criticism from lawmakers in both parties over the Justice Department’s compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required the release of records related to federal investigations into Epstein and accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell within 30 days — a deadline the department missed. Ultimately, about 3 million pages were published, roughly half of the files held by the department. Officials said the remainder were withheld to protect survivors’ personal information and avoid jeopardizing active federal investigations.
Trump fired Bondi in April, calling her a “great American patriot” despite his behind-the-scenes frustration with her performance. She was originally scheduled to testify under subpoena on April 14, but the Justice Department canceled her appearance after she was removed from her post.
In a letter to the House Oversight Committee, the Justice Department said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Guynn were accompanying Bondi “as agency counsel, not as her personal counsel.” A DOJ spokesperson said their role was “to assist the Committee in understanding the Department’s role in implementing and complying with the Epstein Files Transparency Act during her tenure” and to “ensure accurate representation of Department processes.”
Bondi’s testimony comes just days after she revealed to CBS News that she is undergoing treatment for thyroid cancer. She said she was diagnosed after leaving the Justice Department and recently had surgery as part of treatment.
Her appearance follows a series of high-profile depositions by the committee in recent months, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, billionaire Les Wexner, and Epstein’s lawyer and accountant, Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn. All denied knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and denounced his behavior.