Pam Bondi to face closed-door questioning from House lawmakers over
Epstein files
[May 29, 2026]
By STEPHEN GROVES
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Attorney General Pam Bondi is testifying before
House lawmakers investigating Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse cases, a
long-awaited appearance that brings fresh scrutiny of the
administration's botched release of the Epstein case files.
Bondi was defiant in previous public testimony when she was confronted
by lawmakers about the Epstein investigation. It's unclear whether
she'll bring the same approach Friday, now that she is no longer in
charge of the Justice Department. The session will be held behind closed
doors.
The transcribed interview will give lawmakers a chance to dig for
information on the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files
and other related matters, including the prison sentence of his former
girlfriend and confidant, Ghislaine Maxwell. The Justice Department
moved Maxwell to a prison camp in Texas last August.
“I think she absolutely could clear up many missing pieces if she wanted
to,” said Rep. Yassamin Ansari, an Arizona Democrat on the House
Oversight Committee. “Now it’s a question of whether or not she is
willing to be transparent.”
Lawmakers are trying to find out what decisions prosecutors have made
about investigating Epstein associates, how the Justice Department
handled the congressional mandate to release the Epstein case files and
whether President Donald Trump was involved in the process.
Bondi, who revealed this week that she is being treated for thyroid
cancer, has stayed within Trump's orbit even after being ousted from her
job in early April.
Trump appointed her to a White House panel on artificial intelligence
this week, and Bondi will be accompanied Friday by Justice Department
officials, including Harmeet Dhillon, who heads the department's Civil
Rights Division, acting as her counsel.
Democrats say that arrangement is a conflict of interest.
A spokesperson for the Justice Department said the officials were there
to help lawmakers understand the department's process for releasing the
case files.
Bondi was central to the Epstein saga
Bondi has been central to the political firestorm over Epstein,
initially raising expectations for the full release of what's known as
the Epstein files, only to later backtrack. That reversal prompted
Congress to step in and pass a law requiring the release.
Bondi faced even more backlash when the Justice Department's release of
the files was delayed and then included personal information of several
potential victims. She has insisted in congressional hearings that she
was trying to follow the law.
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Attorney General Pam Bondi faces questions in the House Judiciary
Committee over the Justice Department's handling of files related to
convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, at the Capitol in
Washington, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
The House Oversight Committee, meanwhile, has been conducting a
wide-ranging investigation into Epstein that spans multiple
presidential administrations.
The interview format is already contentious
Bondi was subpoenaed by the committee in March in a bipartisan vote,
but she tried to head off that demand by holding a closed-door
meeting with lawmakers that same month. The maneuver only added to
the enmity between Bondi and Democrats on the committee.
Bondi's departure from the Justice Department also raised doubts
about the enforcement of the congressional subpoena. After the
committee's Democrats maneuvered to press for a civil contempt of
Congress resolution against Bondi, she agreed to sit for a
transcribed interview rather than a sworn deposition.
Democrats on the Oversight panel have criticized that arrangement,
saying that it allows Bondi to decline to answer questions. They
have also pressed the Republican chair of the committee, Rep. James
Comer, to record the interview on video.
“A failure to film and release a video of Ms. Bondi’s testimony
would present a grave injustice to the American people and survivors
of Epstein’s crimes,” the committee's top Democrat, Rep. Robert
Garcia, wrote to Comer.
Comer has said he is allowing Bondi to sit for a transcribed
interview rather than a deposition as an incentive to cooperate.
Previously, he had enforced a subpoena on former President Bill
Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after they
resisted the demand. Both of their depositions were video-recorded.
Still, Comer said Bondi could face prosecution if she lies to
Congress. He said the committee would also release a transcript of
the interview.
“Hopefully that will be good enough,” he said.
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