Washington, United States. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the Justice Department’s handling of files related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during testimony before a House of Representatives panel on Wednesday. She said the department reviewed large volumes of documents on a compressed timeline.
Bondi’s testimony and document review
Bondi testified before the House Judiciary Committee as lawmakers, including some Republicans, voiced frustration over the amount of Epstein material the department has redacted and withheld, despite a federal law requiring the release of nearly all files. Bondi said the Justice Department painstakingly reviewed reams of documents on a compressed timeline.
The Justice Department released what it called a final tranche of more than 3 million pages of documents late last month, drawing renewed attention to wealthy and powerful individuals who maintained ties with Epstein even after his conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. In her opening statement, Bondi said she had spent her career fighting for victims and would continue to do so.
Lawmakers’ criticism of redactions and withheld material
Lawmakers said redactions in the files appear to go beyond the limited exemptions allowed under a law Congress passed nearly unanimously in November. The department has also declined to publish a large volume of material, citing legal privileges.
Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the committee, introduced several of Epstein’s victims who attended the hearing and accused Bondi of trying to spare Epstein’s associates from “embarrassment and disgrace.” Raskin told Bondi, “As attorney general, you’re siding with the perpetrators and you’re ignoring the victims.”
Political scrutiny and department response
The Epstein files have followed Bondi throughout her tenure as President Donald Trump’s attorney general. The Justice Department’s decision last summer to initially not release further material prompted a strong reaction from some of Trump’s online supporters and drew scrutiny to Trump’s past friendship with Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The Justice Department has said it has been transparent in its document review and that redactions were necessary to protect Epstein’s victims, though some victims’ names were made public as part of the release.
What do you think lawmakers should prioritize when reviewing the Justice Department’s redactions in the Epstein files?
