Pam Bondi, who was removed from her role as attorney general by President Trump in April, appeared before the House Oversight Committee for a closed-door interview. She revealed her lack of authority over the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, placing the responsibility on Todd Blanche, her former deputy and successor.
Bondi’s statements during the hearing marked a significant departure from her previous assertive stances. In earlier Capitol Hill appearances, she had vehemently defended her performance against Democratic critics.
Representative Robert Garcia of California, a prominent Democrat on the committee, noted that Bondi claimed Blanche was in charge of the entire investigation. She also mentioned that Blanche made the decisions on which documents to release, corroborated by another individual present at the session.
However, some Justice Department officials, requiring anonymity to speak on the subject, contested Bondi’s portrayal of events. They asserted that she was aware of every major development in the Epstein case and approved all significant actions. Bondi had even issued a memo in July 2025, formally ending the government’s review of the files.
After the interview, Bondi acknowledged Blanche’s efforts in handling the Epstein case in a social media post. She praised him as an exemplary attorney general and dismissed any notions of discord between them.
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