During a tense House Judiciary Committee hearing, Attorney General Pam Bondi faced intense scrutiny from House Democrats regarding the Trump administration’s oversight of the Jeffrey Epstein files. The session quickly turned partisan as Bondi attempted to shift focus from the controversy surrounding Epstein’s potential co-conspirators to economic achievements under President Donald Trump.
Bondi highlighted the record-breaking performance of the stock market, pointing out that the Dow Jones Industrial Average had surpassed 50,000. “The Dow is over 50,000 right now,” she stated, emphasizing that rising stock prices indicate the success of the administration. Despite her mention of these economic gains, House Democrats expressed discontent, questioning the relevance of financial statistics to the pressing matter at hand—the lack of accountability in the Epstein case.
Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat, criticized Bondi and the Department of Justice (DOJ) for failing to indict any of Epstein’s alleged co-conspirators. He characterized the DOJ’s actions as a “massive cover-up.” Nadler also highlighted the DOJ’s non-compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which mandates the release of significant documentation regarding Epstein’s operations. This law was signed into effect by Trump after he initially opposed it.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, the panel’s ranking member, accused Bondi of a gross mishandling of the situation and of showing “staggering incompetence and cold indifference” towards victims of Epstein’s abuse. He voiced frustration over the DOJ’s decisions to redact the names of alleged co-conspirators while allowing the identification of victims in released documents, calling this an act of “jaded cruelty.”
The hearing further escalated when Rep. Pramila Jayapal from Washington posed a question to Epstein surivors present in the room, asking them to raise their hands if they had struggled to meet with the DOJ. A visible majority of the women raised their hands, prompting Jayapal to urge Bondi to apologize for the mishandling of victims’ information within the Epstein files. In response, Bondi attempted to deflect by citing her previous interactions with former Attorney General Merrick Garland, leading Jayapal to demand a direct answer.
Throughout the exchange, Bondi maintained a combative demeanor, rebuffing accusations and asserting her commitment to defending Trump against criticisms leveraged by Democratic lawmakers. At one point, she remarked, “You all should be apologizing,” as tension flared in the room.
Additionally, Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky and co-sponsor of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, confronted Bondi over the redaction issue, particularly drawing attention to the name of Les Wexner, former CEO of Victoria’s Secret. Bondi claimed that a redaction error concerning Wexner had been corrected swiftly, to which Massie retorted that he had caught them “red-handed.”
As the contentious hearing progressed, the challenges surrounding transparency in the Epstein investigations remained largely overshadowed by partisan disputes, leaving many questions unanswered for victims seeking justice.
