Former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared before a closed-door hearing of the House Oversight Committee on Friday, as lawmakers pressed for answers about unreleased documents tied to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Bondi defended the Justice Department's approach, claiming it had released nearly three million pages of records, including photos and video evidence, in an unprecedented bid for transparency.
“This was an enormously complicated and labour-intensive process,” Bondi told the committee. “To the best of my knowledge, the department produced everything required under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.” However, victims' advocates and a bipartisan group of politicians argue that key documents remain undisclosed or were unlawfully redacted. Bondi acknowledged that some materials were withheld but said they were properly vetted as nonresponsive, privileged, or duplicative. She also admitted redaction errors: “There were redaction errors. But since day one of this process, this department has been committed to accountability and transparency.”
Critics say the department failed on both fronts, alleging that officials released names and photos of previously unidentified victims while continuing to redact information that should have been revealed. The law required all materials to be disclosed by December, but the Justice Department only made them public on January 31. Before the hearing, Chairman James Comer stated: “I want every document. I don’t want anything held back. We want to get the truth to the American people. We want to try to provide justice to the survivors.”
The Epstein scandal has dogged the Trump administration since the president began his second term in 2025. Trump and Epstein socialized in the 1990s and early 2000s, but Trump has maintained he cut ties before Epstein's 2008 guilty plea for soliciting prostitution from a minor. The administration denies allegations of withholding records to protect the president. Bondi was fired on April 2 amid mounting criticism. Some Democrats have floated contempt charges for her refusal to fully cooperate.
During the hearing, Bondi disclosed she is being treated for thyroid cancer and recovering from surgery. She expressed sympathy for Epstein's victims, saying she was “deeply sorry” for what they endured. She also noted that she delegated oversight of the document release to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. After the hearing, top Democrat Robert Garcia accused the administration of shielding Trump, claiming Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon repeatedly blocked questions about the president. Survivors gathered outside, calling for public testimony under oath. The committee plans further interviews with Bill Gates, Kathryn Ruemmler, and Jes Staley, all of whom had ties to Epstein.
Source: www.aljazeera.com