The House Oversight Committee released the transcript of its interview with former Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was questioned about the Justice Department's handling of records related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Bondi repeatedly pointed lawmakers to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, saying he briefed her on the matter after she took office and had led the records-release effort “from the beginning.”
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Bondi was asked about a July 2025 Justice Department and FBI memo that stated investigators looking into Epstein had not uncovered “an incriminating client list.” She was pressed on whether the department ever possessed such a list. Bondi said, “Not to my knowledge,” and referred questions to Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel.
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Bondi also defended the Justice Department’s handling of the records released following the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. She said the agency ultimately released nearly 3 million pages of material and worked to comply with the law while protecting victims’ identities. She acknowledged there were redaction mistakes but said the department acted to correct them.
Lawmakers also pressed Bondi about Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking. Asked whether Maxwell should receive a pardon, Bondi responded: “No. I believe she should die in prison.” She described Maxwell as “a monster, just like Jeffrey Epstein,” accusing her of recruiting young women into “a life of prostitution and abuse.”
Bondi declined to answer several questions about conversations she may have had with President Donald Trump regarding Epstein and Maxwell, citing privilege.
When asked when she first spoke with Trump about the Epstein investigations, Bondi said, “I don't discuss any conversations, whether I've had them or not had them, with the President of the United States.”
Later, when questioned about whether Trump had directed her or her subordinates to take any official action related to Epstein or Maxwell, Bondi again declined to discuss communications with the president. Justice Department officials accompanying Bondi said conversations with Trump and his advisers were protected by privilege.
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Trump fired Bondi as attorney general in early April. On Wednesday, Trump said he would nominate Blanche to permanently fill the role.
