Former Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the Department of Justice's handling of the release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein during her opening statement to a House panel on Friday. Bondi stated that the DOJ publicly released all documents as required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, according to a transcript obtained by MS NOW.
Her comments came amid criticism from Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, who accused the Republican majority of not videotaping her interview with the panel. Sara Guerrero, a spokesperson for the Democrats, stated, "Pam Bondi was at the heart of a White House cover-up and Oversight Chairman James Comer is working to hide her testimony from the American people." Guerrero emphasized that the survivors and the public deserve to see her respond to questions regarding the handling of the Epstein files.
A source present during Bondi's interview reported that she displayed frustration when questioned about President Donald Trump. In her statement, Bondi acknowledged that there were "redaction errors" in the released documents and mentioned that she delegated oversight of the process to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Bondi was dismissed by Trump in early April due to dissatisfaction with her management of the Epstein files.
Bondi asserted that the Department demonstrated a commitment to transparency, producing nearly 3 million pages of material, including videos and images. She concluded by stating, "The bottom line is: justice and transparency in this matter have been delivered at the direction of President Trump and his administration."
