House Democrats have sharply criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi for her inaction regarding the prosecution of alleged co-conspirators associated with accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. During a heated session of the House Judiciary Committee, Representative Jerry Nadler of New York pressed Bondi on the matter, highlighting that she had not indicted any of Epstein’s alleged accomplices.
Bondi countered Nadler’s inquiries by emphasizing the positive performance of the stock market under President Donald Trump, noting that the Dow Jones Industrial Average had surpassed 50,000, the S&P 500 was nearing 7,000, and the Nasdaq was achieving record highs. “You all should be apologizing,” she asserted, defending the administration from Democratic criticisms. The tension was palpable, given the historical animosity stemming from past investigations into Trump led by Nadler.
Continuing the critique, Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the current top Democrat on the committee, condemned Bondi for not providing Congress with all of the Epstein files as mandated, accusing her of revealing the names of several women who had accused Epstein of abuse instead. “You acted with some mixture of staggering incompetence, cold indifference and jaded cruelty toward more than 1,000 victims,” Raskin stated. He characterized Bondi’s actions as a “performance [that] screams coverup.”
Raskin, a former professor of constitutional law, grew increasingly frustrated with Bondi’s responses, calling on her to be direct rather than filibuster. In a retort, Bondi dismissed Raskin’s legal background, labeling him a “washed-up loser lawyer” and questioning his legal credentials.
The issue of the Epstein files has remained contentious, particularly during Trump’s second term, with many women alleging that more should be done to hold powerful figures — including Trump and former President Bill Clinton — accountable for their connections to Epstein. Although Congress had passed legislation requiring the Justice Department to release Epstein documents by the end of December, with the condition that the names of victims be redacted, concerns persist. Approximately 3 million pages have been made public, with significant portions still withheld.
Bondi, in her opening remarks, encouraged women with allegations to bring them to the FBI’s attention. However, she continued to pivot the conversation back to the administration’s achievements, urging a focus on the successes of the stock market and declines in crime rates during Trump’s presidency. “That’s what we should be focused on – all the great work that this president has done,” she concluded, as the contentious dialogue between the attorney general and lawmakers unfolded.
