WASHINGTON: Former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi refused to answer questions from Congress on whether President Donald Trump was aware of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's activities that led to his criminal indictments or whether he directed her to redact Justice Department files that were made public, Democratic lawmakers said on Friday.
In a closed-door interview before the House of Representatives Oversight Committee on Friday, Bondi also said Todd Blanche, who now serves as acting attorney general, had been responsible for the documents' release.
"I did not lead every aspect of this effort or conduct that document review myself. I delegated oversight over this process to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche," Bondi said in a prepared statement obtained by Reuters.
Bondi later said that she backed Blanche in her testimony. "I praised Acting AG Blanche's management of this Herculean task. I said his ethics are beyond reproach and that he is an incredible Attorney General," she wrote on X.