U.S Attorney General Pam Bondi faced questions from lawmakers today over the Department of Justice’s handling of the Epstein files after sensitive information about the sex offender’s victims was released despite extensive redactions.
Bondi is confronting a new wave of criticism after the release of millions of additional Epstein disclosures, which both Democrats and Epstein’s victims have claimed were sloppy and inconsistent.
The Justice Department is accused of redacting information that critics say should have been made public, especially evidence that could lead to scrutiny of Epstein’s high-powered associates.
Meanwhile, victims have slammed the department for inconsistent redactions that led to the inadvertent release of nude photos and other confidential information.
It is the first time Bondi has appeared before Congress since she was deposed in October, during a combative hearing in which she was accused of using her position to target Trump’s opponents and of repeatedly deflecting questions from Democrats by launching political attacks against them.
The House Judiciary Committee probed Bondi on how her department determined what information should and should not be made public based on the rules laid out in the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was passed by Congress after the department abruptly announced in July that no more files would be released.
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The hearing comes days after a group of lawmakers scoured the newest batch of files as part of an agreement with the Justice Department. They were given access to a reading room with four computers and were allowed to take handwritten notes.
Before Bondi began her testimony, Democrats accused her of siding with perpetrators and abandoning victims, some of whom were sitting behind her during the hearing, including the relatives of the late Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most outspoken victims.
“Abandoning victims and coddling perpetrators is what you do best,” U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin said to Bondi during a scathing speech where he laid out a long list of what he said were “seditious” pretenses spanning her department’s treatment of the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota, and other “corruptions and cover-ups” pertaining to the hiring and firing of legal personnel within the Trump administration.
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“Do not waste one second of our precious time,” he said to Bondi before questioning began.
In response, Bondi outlined her department’s priorities, which she said included combating violent crime, protecting Americans’ safety, and upholding the rule of law.
She then addressed the victims, saying, “I want to take a moment to acknowledge the Epstein survivors who are here today. I’m a career prosecutor, and despite what the ranking member said, I have spent my entire career fighting for victims, and I will continue to do so. I am deeply sorry. For what any victim — any victim — has been through, especially as a result of that monster.”
Minutes later, Bondi refused to apologize to the victims sitting behind her —all of whom raised their hands to confirm they had not been able to reach the U.S. Justice Department —and said earlier calls from Democrats for her to apologize were “theatrics.”
At one point, Bondi pivoted to the U.S. economy, stating that under President Trump, who she said was “the most transparent president in the nation’s history,” the DOW was “over 50,000…the S&P had almost 7000 and the Nasdaq is smashing records.”
“Americans’ 401Ks and retirement savings are booming,” she added, before claiming the Biden administration’s failure to release the Epstein files was evidence of Trump’s transparency, and that Democrats were focusing on the Epstein files in an attempt to detract from Trump’s economic successes.
— This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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— With files from the Associated Press
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