WASHINGTON — The Justice Department announced that Pam Bondi, the recently dismissed Attorney General, will skip her planned testimony before House investigators examining the government’s mishandling of Jeffrey Epstein case materials.
House Oversight Committee spokesperson Jessica Collins revealed Wednesday that Justice Department officials indicated Bondi would not attend her April 14 scheduled appearance “since she is no longer attorney general and was subpoenaed in her capacity as attorney general.” Committee staff will now reach out to Bondi’s private attorneys to arrange future testimony dates, Collins explained.
The former Attorney General has come under fire for the Justice Department’s problematic handling of what lawmakers call the Epstein files. Last month, the Republican-controlled committee issued a bipartisan subpoena for Bondi’s testimony. The department’s publication of millions of documents related to Epstein, the deceased financier who sexually exploited minors, included numerous mistakes and missed congressional deadlines.
Following President Trump’s April 2 announcement of Bondi’s dismissal, she posted on social media that she would spend the coming month “working tirelessly to transition the office.” However, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has assumed the top position on an interim basis and is now handling the department’s chief responsibilities. As of Wednesday, the Justice Department’s official website continued showing Bondi as attorney general.
Republican lawmakers who previously joined Democrats in subpoenaing Bondi are now demanding her appearance before the committee.
Representative Nancy Mace, who originally proposed the motion requiring Bondi’s testimony, posted on social media Wednesday that “Bondi cannot escape accountability simply because she no longer holds the office of Attorney General.”
The South Carolina Republican emphasized that the motion targeted her “by name, not by title” and stated “we expect her to appear as soon as a new date is set.”
Committee ranking Democrat Representative Robert Garcia of California also vowed to pursue enforcement of the subpoena and warned of potential contempt of Congress charges if Bondi fails to testify.
Garcia stated, “Now that Pam Bondi has been fired, she’s trying to get out of her legal obligation to testify before the Oversight Committee about the Epstein files and the White House cover-up.”
Committee Chairman Republican Representative James Comer of Kentucky has previously enforced subpoenas against Bill and Hillary Clinton this year, making the former president and former secretary of state among the most senior ex-government officials ever compelled to testify before Congress.
