Former Attorney General Pamela Bondi appeared for a closed-door interview with a House panel Friday over the handling of files related to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and Democrats say she told them that acting Attorney General Todd Blanche made many of the decisions.
The interview by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform came amid bipartisan concerns, and occasional internal partisan struggles, around congressional oversight of the initial criminal probes of Epstein and later release of millions of Justice Department files related to him.
Democrats have criticized the Trump administration for its handling of the files and for allowing Bondi to appear behind closed doors rather than a taped deposition or public hearing.
Ranking member Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., told reporters that Bondi was accompanied by Justice Department counsel, an unusual arrangement for a private citizen, and that Bondi deferred on many questions to actions taken by Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel.
The House oversight panel first subpoenaed Bondi in March, when she was attorney general, and five Republicans joined with Democrats to vote on the subpoena. Trump ousted Bondi days before her scheduled deposition in April, and her appearance before the panel was delayed.
