Attorney General Pam Bondi came under sharp fire during a tense House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday, as lawmakers pressed her over the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and accusations that the agency has targeted President Donald Trump’s critics.
Democrats said the DOJ mishandled the release of more than 3 million pages of Epstein-related records by heavily redacting the names of alleged enablers while failing to fully protect survivors’ identities. Several survivors were seated behind Bondi during the hearing, intensifying the exchanges.
Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland accused the department of violating congressional directives. “You redacted the names of abusers, enablers, accomplices and co-conspirators… Even worse, you shockingly failed to redact many of the victims’ names,” he said, adding that survivors who had never gone public were exposed. The DOJ earlier acknowledged removing “several thousand” documents from its website after concerns that victim-identifying information had been inadvertently released.
Bondi largely avoided direct answers, repeatedly calling Democrats’ questioning “theatrics” and labeling the hearing a “circus.” When Rep. Pramila Jayapal asked her to turn around and apologize to survivors in the room, Bondi refused, saying she would not “get in the gutter for her theatrics.” In her opening remarks, however, she said, “I have spent my entire career fighting for victims, and I will continue to do so. I am deeply sorry for what any victim — any victim — has been through, especially as a result of that monster.”
The hearing devolved into personal attacks. Bondi referred to Raskin as a “washed-up lawyer” and later a “washed up loser lawyer,” criticized Rep. Hank Johnson’s experience, and dismissed Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon’s questions, prompting Scanlon to respond, “Thank you for the insult.” Republicans were not spared. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky questioned inconsistent redactions in the Epstein files, leading Bondi to say, “This guy has Trump derangement syndrome,” and call him a “failed politician.”
Outside the hearing, survivors and family members condemned the department’s actions. “The DOJ needs to do its job. Give us the rest of the files and start the investigations,” said survivor Dani Bensky. Sky Roberts, the brother of Virginia Giuffre, said Bondi’s handling of the matter was a failure, telling her, “Do your job, Pam.” Democrats also accused Bondi of politicizing the DOJ. Raskin said she had turned it into “Trump’s instrument of revenge,” adding, “Trump orders up prosecutions like pizza, and you deliver every time.”
Bondi denied claims of weaponization, declaring, “Weaponization has ended,” while accusing “liberal activist judges” of “coordinated judicial opposition.” She repeatedly praised Trump, calling him “the greatest president in American history.”
The hearing followed news that a federal grand jury declined to indict six Democratic lawmakers over a video urging service members to refuse “illegal orders.” Amid the clashes, Bondi and Rep. Eric Swalwell briefly found common ground over safety concerns, with Bondi saying, “None of you should be threatened, ever… None of your children should be threatened. None of your families should be threatened.”
Despite bipartisan criticism over the Epstein files, Republicans largely used their time to defend Bondi or highlight administration priorities such as crime reduction and immigration enforcement. The volatile hearing underscored mounting pressure on the attorney general from both Congress and a White House eager for visible wins amid legal and political headwinds.
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