Former General Pam Bondi defended the Justice Department's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files Friday during a closed-door interview with the House Oversight Committee on Friday, acknowledging mistakes in the release but insisting the Trump administration delivered on its promise of transparency.
Bondi's appearance on Capitol Hill marked one of the most closely watched moments in Congress' continuing probe into how the government handled records tied to Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The session came after months of criticism from lawmakers, survivors and transparency advocates over what was released, what was withheld and whether the public received a full accounting of Epstein's network.
According to a written copy of her opening statement reported by The Associated Press, Bondi told lawmakers: "The bottom line is: justice and transparency in this matter have been delivered at the direction of President Trump and his administration."
However, her defense did not satisfy Democrats on the panel, who said Bondi refused to answer questions about Trump's involvement in the release of the files.
Rep. Dave Min, D-Calif., told reporters during a break: "It's a sham in there. They are not answering any questions." Bondi said the review and release of the Epstein files was "an enormously complicated and labor-intensive process" and acknowledged "there were redaction errors," CBS News reported.
She also said she was proud of the department's work, describing it as "an unprecedented commitment to transparency." "To the best of my knowledge, the Department produced everything required under the Epstein Files Transparency Act," Bondi said.
Bondi told lawmakers that Todd Blanche, leading the DOJ after her departure, oversaw the release after Congress passed and Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
The Justice Department released more than 3 million pages of records under Bondi. But the rollout drew bipartisan criticism after some materials were withheld and some sensitive information tied to potential victims was exposed. DOJ officials have said they would not release information that could identify victims or compromise ongoing investigations.
House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said before the interview that lawmakers wanted to know "what documents remain, why they haven't been turned over." He also said, "I want every document, I don't want anything held back." Outside the room, Epstein survivors demanded accountability, yelling "tell the truth" as Bondi arrived.
Reuters noted that Trump and Epstein socialized in the 1990s and early 2000s, though Trump has repeatedly said he ended the relationship before Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Trump, former President Bill Clinton and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, have all denied knowledge of Epstein's sex trafficking, despite their ties to him. Democrats also objected to the format of the interview, which was transcribed but not videotaped. Rep. Robert Garcia criticized the lack of video, arguing the public should be able to see Bondi's demeanor as she answered questions.
.png?w=600)
