Attorney General Pam Bondi faced tough questioning from the House Judiciary Committee in a heated hearing on Wednesday. The session primarily revolved around the Justice Department’s management of the Jeffrey Epstein case, where Bondi defended herself against accusations from Democrats that the department was using “weapons” against opponents.
This was Bondi’s first appearance before the committee since her confirmation last year as the top law enforcement official. Unfortunately, the hearing quickly turned chaotic with raised voices and confrontational exchanges. Bondi kept reiterating the department’s decisions, sometimes responding with pointed remarks of her own.
Here are some of the most significant moments from the tense discussion:
1. Ted Lieu accuses Bondi of lying under oath
Representative Ted Lieu, a Democrat from California, directly accused Bondi of lying when she claimed there was no evidence against President Trump related to a rape accusation. “Please don’t accuse me of a crime!” Bondi retorted, leading to a tumultuous exchange as attempts to regain order ensued.
“It’s absurd,” Bondi said, emphasizing, “There isn’t any proof that Donald Trump has committed a crime.”
2. “Turn around…and apologize.”
Another intense moment arose when Representative Pramila Jayapal from Washington challenged Bondi to apologize for revealing available documents that did not redact the names of Epstein survivors. Jayapal argued that it worsened their trauma.
“Will you address the survivors… and apologize?” she pressed, but Bondi began to deflect, reiterating actions taken by previous administrations.
“This isn’t about them,” Jayapal insisted. “It’s about you owning up to the harm done by the Department of Justice.” Bondi dismissed the request, later tweeting that the interchange was “unprofessional.”
3. Massey and Bondi’s argument
Even Republican members questioned Bondi’s handling of the Epstein file. Representative Thomas Massey criticized her for what he termed excessive redaction of incriminating information while failing to protect victims’ identities.
“This cover-up has persisted too long, and you share some responsibility,” he said. Bondi shot back, branding Massey a “failed politician” with “Trump derangement syndrome.”
4. Criminal charges for Brennan
Bondi confirmed that former CIA Director John Brennan is currently facing criminal charges for allegedly lying to Congress. This revelation surfaced during a question about whether Brennan would be indicted, to which Bondi remarked, “What I can confirm is that I received a referral from Chairman Jordan to investigate Mr. John Brennan.”
However, she remained vague about a pending investigation, adding, “No one is above the law. The weaponization is done.”
5. Nadler and Bondi’s exchange
Representative Jerry Nadler also pressed Bondi to disclose how many of Epstein’s co-conspirators had been indicted under her watch, but she opted not to provide any specific numbers, instead veering into critiques of past impeachment efforts. Nadler interjected sharply with, “The answer is zero.”
