US Attorney General Pam Bondi defends DOJ handling of Epstein files in House testimony
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Attorney General Pam Bondi refused to apologise to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein during the hearing on Wednesday Photograph: (AFP)
Several lawmakers have complained that the redactions in the Epstein files appear to go beyond the limited exemptions allowed for in a law Congress passed in November. The department of justice has also declined to publish a large volume of material, citing legal privileges.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the Justice Department’s handling of files involving the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein before a House of Representatives panel on Wednesday, saying the department painstakingly reviewed reams of documents on a compressed timeline. Bondi’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee came as lawmakers, including some Republicans, expressed frustration with the amount of Epstein material the department has redacted and withheld despite a federal law requiring the release of nearly all files.
The Justice Department released what it called a final tranche of more than 3 million pages of documents, drawing renewed attention to wealthy and powerful individuals who maintained ties with Epstein even after his conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
“I have spent my entire career fighting for victims, and I will continue to do so,” Bondi said in her opening statement.
‘As attorney general, you’re siding with perpetrators and ignoring the victims’
Lawmakers have complained that redactions in the files appear to go beyond the limited exemptions allowed for in a law Congress passed nearly unanimously in November. The department has also declined to publish a large volume of material, citing legal privileges.
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Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the committee, introduced several of Epstein’s victims who attended the hearing and accused Bondi of attempting to spare Epstein’s associates from “embarrassment and disgrace”.
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“As attorney general, you’re siding with the perpetrators and you’re ignoring the victims,” Raskin said.
The Epstein files have dogged Bondi throughout her tenure as President Donald Trump’s attorney general.
Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
‘Deeply sorry for what any Epstein victim has been through’
The Justice Department has said it has been transparent in its review of documents, and redactions have been necessary to protect Epstein’s victims, though some victims’ names were made public as part of the release.
Attorney General Pam Bondi addressed the Epstein files and defended the administration's handling of the case.
She said that when people brought up names of survivors that were inadvertently released, they were then redacted.
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“I am deeply sorry for what any victim, any victim, has been through, especially as a result of that monster,” she said.
She said that the FBI is waiting to hear from people who have information about anyone who hurt them. She said any accusations of criminal wrongdoing would be investigated.
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‘Crime is declining’: US Attorney General
Bondi began her opening statement by touting a decrease in crime under her leadership at the DOJ.
“After years of bloated bureaucracy and political weaponisation, Department of Justice’s core mission is to fight violent crime, protect the American people and defend the rule of law above all else. While our work is never done, we have made tremendous progress to make America safe again,” she said.
Bondi said that 2025 had the lowest murder rate in 125 years. “That’s nothing short of historic,” she said.
“Crime is declining. President Trump has given us the resources, the support and the leadership to protect the American people. President Trump’s policies have saved lives. I cannot think of a policy outcome more important than protecting the lives of American citizens,” she said.
