The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released a transcript Thursday from its closed-door meeting with former Attorney General Pam Bondi regarding the handling of Jeffrey Epstein files. The transcript provides the first public account of Bondi's testimony on the matter.
During the roughly four-hour session, Bondi declined to answer numerous questions. She directed responsibility to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche regarding how the files were handled.
The release of the transcript came after a contentious period between Bondi and the committee. The House panel had initially scheduled Bondi for a deposition on April 14, but the Justice Department informed the committee that she would not appear. The department argued that because Bondi no longer held the position of attorney general, the subpoena no longer applied since it had been issued in her official capacity.
The committee's Democrats responded by filing a civil contempt resolution against Bondi for not appearing at the scheduled deposition. Representative Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, announced the action and stated that Bondi had "illegally defied our committee, skipped her deposition, and has refused to cooperate."
However, shortly after the Democrats announced the contempt charges, the oversight committee revealed that Bondi would appear before the panel on May 29. Republicans on the committee said the contempt action was "completely unnecessary" given that Bondi was now scheduled to testify. The oversight Democrats noted the timing, writing that the appearance was announced just 45 minutes after they filed the contempt charges.
Bondi had been subpoenaed by the committee while still serving as attorney general. The committee's chair, Republican Representative James Comer, wrote in the subpoena letter that there were questions regarding the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein investigation and its compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
The Justice Department faced criticism over its compliance with that law after failing to meet a December 19 deadline to release relevant files. The department instead released what it said were the full files on January 31. Survivors of Epstein's abuse raised concerns that sensitive personal information was improperly disclosed in the files, while several lawmakers criticized some of the redactions included in the documents.
According to Democrat Garcia, Bondi had "extensive personal knowledge about the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files," making her testimony and cooperation crucial regardless of her current job title.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the matter.