After Kristi Noem’s ousting, Republicans in Congress are turning their attention to Attorney General Pam Bondi, who will be compelled to answer questions about her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, according to a new report.
On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee voted to subpoena Bondi, with five Republicans crossing the aisle to join Democrats in favor. Many more GOP members appear open to punishing her for delaying the release of the Epstein files, according to Politico.
“I just think it’s time to get some answers,” Rep. Tim Burchett, a Tennessee Republican, said. “She’s in the batter’s box.”
It’s not clear when the nation’s top prosecutor will testify. But her appearance before the committee will take on more significance after President Donald Trump fired Kristi Noem as Homeland Security secretary on Thursday, following her testimony on Capitol Hill earlier this week.
By dismissing Noem — dogged by controversy over her management of Trump's immigration crackdown, luxury jet spending and a costly ad blitz — Trump showed he's open to jettisoning Cabinet members who lose GOP support.
So far, top administration officials have rallied behind Bondi.
“Bondi has worked tirelessly to successfully implement the President’s law and order agenda,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Politico. “The President has full faith in the Attorney General.” A Justice Department representative added that lawmakers critical of Bondi “refuse to accept the truth.”
However, a number of Republicans on Capitol Hill have expressed significant reservations.
“I’m not impressed with Bondi on the Epstein files, and I’ll make that abundantly clear when I depose her whenever that day comes,” Rep. Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican, said. “She’s lost a lot of support among the base [and] up here as well.”
Speaking anonymously, a GOP senator said that Bondi’s judgment is “not good on Epstein” and that “it certainly hasn’t helped us.”
Bondi has endured months of intensifying backlash over her handling of the Epstein files, a cache of documents that has dominated headlines and captivated public attention like few other controversies.
In February, Bondi told Fox News that the Epstein files were sitting on her desk. However, in July, the DOJ withheld additional Epstein-related material, issuing a memo denying any proof of a client list and deeming evidence insufficient to charge third parties.
Bondi’s decision ultimately led Congress to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required the DOJ to release all of its material on Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died while awaiting trial in 2019.
While millions of files have since been released, the department failed to meet the statutory deadline for publishing all of them. And numerous published documents are heavily redacted.
This week, under mounting pressure, the DOJ released another batch of files, including FBI interviews with a woman who accused Trump of sexually assaulting her as a minor. The president has long denied wrongdoing associated with Epstein, and the White House has labeled the woman’s accusation as baseless.
Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, said that he is aware of “20 Republicans who may be open to a contempt filing if she doesn’t release more files…I do believe she’s in trouble.”
However, one GOP lawmaker stressed that most party members are not keen on axing Bondi.
“There are several members of that committee that are perhaps seeking higher office,” Rep. Lance Gooden, a Texas Republican, told Politico. “I don’t know if intentions are always pure.”
While Republican sentiment appears mixed, the vast majority of Democrats in Congress have telegraphed strong opposition to Bondi.
On Thursday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said that the attorney general has “got to go,” adding he would approach her with “the same intensity that has now led to the termination of Kristi Noem.”
“The world is watching as Pam Bondi continues to aid this White House cover-up,” Rep. Robert Garcia, a California Democrat, said on Friday. “We look forward to having her testify under oath before the Oversight Committee as soon as possible.”
The Independent has reached out to the Department of Justice for comment.
