Former Attorney General Pam Bondi Cancels Testimony on Epstein Investigation

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has notified the House Oversight Committee that former Attorney General Pam Bondi will not be testifying regarding the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. This effectively cancels her scheduled deposition for April 14th.

The DOJ argues that since Bondi was removed from her position on April 2nd, she is no longer required to comply with the subpoena issued to her while in office.

This decision has drawn frustration from various lawmakers who have been critical of the DOJ’s approach to the Epstein investigation. Many committee members saw Bondi’s testimony as crucial for gaining clarity and addressing unresolved issues concerning the case management.

Although Bondi was dismissed from her role, she previously stated that she would “follow the law” in responding to the subpoena from the committee.

A spokesperson for the committee expressed, “The Department of Justice has stated Pam Bondi will not appear on April 14th for a deposition since she is no longer attorney general and was subpoenaed in her capacity as attorney general. The Committee will contact Pam Bondi’s personal counsel to discuss next steps regarding scheduling her deposition.”

On Tuesday, interim Attorney General Todd Blanche mentioned that both he and Bondi had “answered every single question asked” by the Oversight Committee during a lengthy session last month.

Blanche remarked, “What happens now that she’s the former attorney general and there’s the subpoena out there, I think I’ll leave it to Chairman Comer and others to figure out.”

Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) previously noted that as Attorney General, Bondi was responsible for overseeing the DOJ’s process regarding the Epstein Files Transparency Act. He believes she holds valuable insights pertinent to these efforts.

The Oversight Committee has been scrutinizing the DOJ’s investigations into Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, issuing summonses to senior federal law enforcement officials. Representative Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the panel, threatened to hold Bondi in contempt if she chooses not to testify.

Such action would require backing from at least three Republican members of the committee and a House vote.

Comer indicated earlier this month that the committee would discuss accountability measures if Bondi did not provide the requested information, leading to her formal subpoena on March 17th.

Representative Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) stated on X that Bondi “will still have to appear before the Oversight Committee for a sworn deposition.” She emphasized that Bondi’s removal from office doesn’t nullify her obligation to testify or the committee’s oversight role.

“The American people deserve to know whether Congress was misled and whether information about Jeffrey Epstein and his associates is being withheld,” Mace added.

The DOJ has released over 3 million files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, detailing various documents such as FBI memos, draft prosecution files, and victim interviews. Epstein was reportedly found dead in his jail cell a month before his trial for sex trafficking charges in August 2019.