Epstein Files: Ousted AG Pam Bondi will not testify before House Oversight committee
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Epstein Files: Pam Bondi will not testify before House Oversight committee Photograph: (AFP)
Pam Bondi to skip a subpoenaed deposition in the Epstein probe, prompting lawmakers to warn of contempt as the Oversight Committee plans next steps
Pam Bondi, the former attorney general dismissed by President Trump last week, will not appear next week for a scheduled deposition with the House Oversight Committee as part of its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a statement on Wednesday, the committee said it would coordinate with Bondi to arrange a new date for her testimony, which is required under a subpoena issued last month. The subpoena was pushed forward by a bipartisan group, compelling the panel’s Republican chairman, Representative James R. Comer of Kentucky, to act.
Comer had directed Bondi to testify on April 14 regarding the Justice Department’s investigation into Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges, and the department’s handling of related investigative materials. However, a committee spokeswoman said the Justice Department indicated that Bondi would not appear because she is no longer serving as attorney general. Her missteps in handling the Epstein investigation reportedly played a key role in President Trump’s decision to remove her from the position. The Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment.
The committee is now expected to discuss next steps, including rescheduling, with Bondi’s personal legal team. Representative Robert Garcia of California, the panel’s top Democrat, emphasized that the subpoena remains valid despite her dismissal. “Now that Pam Bondi has been fired, she’s trying to get out of her legal obligation to testify,” Mr. Garcia said in a statement. He added that “if she defies the subpoena, we will begin contempt charges in the Congress.”
Even before her removal, lawmakers were concerned that Bondi might attempt to avoid the deposition. In a rare move, five Republicans joined Democrats to force the subpoena over Comer’s objections, marking a significant rebuke from members of the president’s own party.
While Comer publicly stated he would honor the subpoena and Bondi claimed she intended to “follow the law,” she never firmly committed to appearing on April 14. Reports suggest she and Comer had been quietly working to avoid the deposition. Following her dismissal, Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who introduced the motion to subpoena Bondi, said the legal obligation still stands.
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“Pam Bondi cannot escape accountability simply because she no longer holds the office of attorney general,” Mace said in a statement. “Our motion to subpoena Pam Bondi, which was passed by the Oversight Committee, was for Bondi by name, not by title.” Annie and Maria Farmer, among the earliest known accusers of Epstein, criticized the delay in securing testimony. “Survivors have waited nearly three decades for answers,” they said in a statement. “How much longer must we wait?”
The committee’s investigation began last year with a subpoena for Justice Department files and has since expanded to include materials from Epstein’s estate, as well as interviews and depositions from individuals connected to him.
Previously, Comer also subpoenaed Bill and Hillary Clinton, leading to a prolonged standoff before both agreed to testify after the committee moved toward contempt proceedings.
Looking ahead, several closed-door interviews are scheduled. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is expected to appear voluntarily on May 6, while Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is slated to testify on June 10, according to sources familiar with the plans.
