Pam Bondi under fire over handling of Epstein files in congressional hearing

US attorney-general Pam Bondi came under sustained attack from lawmakers for her department’s handling of files linked to Jeffrey Epstein in a fraught congressional hearing on Wednesday.

In often bad-tempered exchanges, Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee slammed Bondi’s leadership and accused the Department of Justice of failing to properly redact files relating to the late sex offender. They also condemned the DoJ’s response to the conduct of federal enforcement agents in Minnesota, who shot and killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti. 

“Whether it’s Epstein’s human trafficking ring or the homicidal governmental violence against citizens in Minneapolis, as attorney-general, you’re siding with the perpetrators and you’re ignoring the victims,” said Jamie Raskin, the committee’s most senior Democrat. “That will be your legacy unless you act quickly to change course.”

President Donald Trump is facing a chorus of criticism, including from some Republicans, for the DoJ’s handling of the Epstein material, which has revealed links between the disgraced financier and senior figures in politics, entertainment and business, as well as outrage over his agressive immigration crackdown and the killings of Good and Pretti.

Polls show that a majority of the American public — and a sizeable minority of Republican Party supporters — disapprove of his administration’s approach to immigration enforcement.

The scandal around Epstein and the DoJ’s handling of documents relating to the late financier has also distracted from the White House’s attempt to focus on economic issues ahead of the midterm elections in November.

One of the most dramatic moments during Wednesday’s hearing came when a group of Epstein victims stood up in the chamber and Bondi refused to face them or apologise directly for having initially released some survivors’ names, which were later redacted.

“You apologised to the survivors in your opening statement for what they went through at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein,” Democratic representative Pramila Jayapal told Bondi.

“Will you turn to them now and apologise for what your Department of Justice has put them through with the absolutely unacceptable release of the Epstein files and their information?”

Bondi instead tried to shift the focus to her predecessor Merrick Garland’s handling of the matter.

“This is not about anybody that came before you,” Jayapal shot back. “It is about you taking responsibility for your Department of Justice and the harm that it has done to the survivors who are standing right behind you and are waiting for you to turn to them and apologise.”

The attorney-general accused Democratic lawmakers of “theatrics”, and of focusing on Epstein to distract from crime in their own districts, adding that she would not “get in the gutter” with them.

“I am deeply sorry for what any victim, any victim, has been through, especially as a result of that monster . . . I want you to know that any accusations of criminal wrongdoing will be taken seriously and investigated,” Bondi said.

Thomas Massie, who supported the law that forced the DoJ to release the Epstein files, was a rare Republican critic of Bondi. “Literally the worst thing you could do to the survivors, you did,” he said, referring to the publication of the victims’ names. He cited another document featuring “co-conspirators” that was instead redacted before the DoJ shared more information.

“This guy has Trump derangement syndrome,” Bondi said of Massie, echoing a quip often used by the president. “You’re a failed politician.” She added that the DoJ had fixed the redactions rapidly.

But most Republicans came to Bondi’s defence, praising her focus on violent crime and immigration. Jim Jordan, the committee’s chair, said that under her leadership, “the DoJ has returned to its core missions: upholding the rule of law, going after the bad guys and keeping Americans safe”.