The Justice Department has argued that Pam Bondi no longer has to appear before Congress while lawmakers threaten contempt charges<\/p>\n
Former US Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was fired by President Donald Trump last week, will not be required to testify about her handling of the investigation into late financier and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, the Justice Department (DOJ) has announced.
\nIn a letter explaining the decision, the DOJ argued that Bondi was summoned to appear before Congress in her official capacity \u2013 a role she no longer holds \u2013 rendering the demand invalid. However, lawmakers from both parties have insisted that she remains legally obligated to appear.
\n\u201cThe removal of Pam Bondi as attorney general does not diminish the Committee\u2019s legitimate oversight interests in seeking her sworn testimony,\u201d Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace and her fellow legislator, Democrat Ro Khanna, have said.
\nMace further stressed that Bondi \u201ccannot escape accountability simply because she no longer holds the office,\u201d and that her testimony is \u201ceven more important\u201d now.
\nDemocratic Representative Robert Garcia has threatened to initiate Congressional contempt proceedings if Bondi fails to appear, insisting she must \u201ccome in to testify immediately\u201d about the Epstein files and the \u201cWhite House cover-up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
Trump\u2019s firing of Bondi not linked to Epstein fiasco \u2013 acting attorney general<\/p>\n
Critics have also noted that the DOJ\u2019s reasoning for letting Bondi off the hook contradicts the fact that six former attorney generals have already testified in the Epstein case, including Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder, Bill Barr, Merrick Garland, Jeff Sessions and Alberto Gonzales.
\nBondi\u2019s refusal comes as the Trump administration\u2019s handling of the Epstein files has faced a mounting backlash ever since Congress passed a law last year requiring the DOJ to release all unclassified records related to the financier, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
\nIn February 2025, Bondi told Fox News that Epstein\u2019s \u201cclient list\u201d was \u201csitting on my desk right now to review,\u201d fueling expectations of explosive revelations. By July, however, the DOJ announced that no such list ever existed and that it had no plans to release additional documents.\u00a0
\nBondi\u2019s refusal to publish the full Epstein files has been widely ridiculed, including by both Democrats and Republicans. The former official reportedly even had to move into military housing over mounting threats.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
Bill Gates to testify over Epstein ties \u2013 media<\/p>\n
It\u2019s unclear if Bondi will ultimately be forced to testify, but the House Oversight Committee has continued its investigation into Epstein\u2019s network of powerful associates.\u00a0
\nMicrosoft co-founder Bill Gates is scheduled to testify in a closed\u2011door transcribed interview in June. Gates has not been accused of any misconduct, and his representatives say he \u201cwelcomes the opportunity to appear before the committee.\u201d\u00a0
\nOther prominent figures who have already testified include former president Bill Clinton and ex-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Epstein\u2019s accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, and billionaire Les Wexner.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Justice Department has argued that Pam Bondi no longer has to appear before Congress while lawmakers threaten contempt charges Former US Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was fired by…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32861,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32860","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t