Lead

Former US Attorney General Pam Bondi declined to answer questions from lawmakers about whether President Donald Trump was aware of the illegal activities of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, according to Democratic politicians who were present. The closed-door interview before the House Oversight Committee on Friday centered on the Justice Department's release of documents related to the Epstein case and raised questions about the extent of presidential involvement.

Coverage comparison

ABC Australia, The Guardian, and the South China Morning Post all reported that Bondi, who served as attorney general under Trump, refused to answer questions about the president's knowledge of Epstein's crimes. Each outlet highlighted that Bondi also denied any role in directing the redaction of files and instead placed responsibility on Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who now serves as acting attorney general. The sources agreed that the Justice Department has released only a fraction of the documents it identified as relevant, though they diverged slightly on the exact figures.

Key claims

  • Bondi appeared voluntarily before the House Oversight Committee and asserted that Todd Blanche was "in charge" of the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein case, as reported by The Guardian and confirmed by ABC Australia and the South China Morning Post.
  • She denied directing the redaction of information in the released documents, a claim she made in her prepared statement, according to ABC Australia.
  • Survivors of Epstein's abuse gathered outside the Capitol office where the interview took place and criticized Bondi's handling of the case, as reported by ABC Australia and The Guardian.
  • The Justice Department has released 3.5 million pages of more than 6 million pages it identified as potentially relevant, according to a January 30 memo cited by the South China Morning Post. An earlier report from ABC Australia said 3 million out of 6 million documents were released, but the exact count may vary depending on what is counted.
  • The House passed legislation to aid Ukraine and impose sanctions on Russia, though this development was only covered by The Guardian and is not directly related to the Epstein testimony.

Perspectives

Democratic lawmakers

Democrats on the committee, including Representative Robert Garcia and Representative Dave Min, described Bondi's refusal to answer questions as a "sham" and said they would seek to subpoena Todd Blanche to testify. They argue that the Justice Department has been slow to comply with a law ordering the release of files and has withheld key information.

Republican leadership

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, a Republican, called for full disclosure of all documents related to the Epstein investigation, saying, "I want every document. I don't want anything held back." However, he did not directly comment on Bondi's refusal to answer questions about Trump.

Bondi's defense

Bondi defended the Justice Department's handling of the records, saying that transparency and accountability have been delivered "at the direction of President Trump and his administration." She acknowledged "redaction errors" but argued that the department remained committed to its mission.