House Democrats expressed strong criticism Friday following a closed-door congressional interview with former Attorney General Pam Bondi, claiming Justice Department officials repeatedly prevented her from answering questions about her handling of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.
The interview, conducted by the House Oversight Committee, was intended to examine Bondi’s role in releasing millions of files connected to Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender. However, Democratic lawmakers emerged from the meeting alleging that two senior Justice Department attorneys who accompanied Bondi effectively blocked substantive questioning.
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Guynn attended the interview alongside Bondi. According to California Representative Robert Garcia, the committee’s ranking Democrat, Dhillon intervened multiple times when lawmakers attempted to question Bondi about conversations with President Donald Trump regarding the Epstein documents.
Garcia expressed concern that the committee’s Republican leadership permitted the Justice Department to restrict Bondi’s responses to lawmakers’ inquiries. He characterized the department officials as acting like Bondi’s personal counsel despite attending in their official government capacity.
New Mexico Representative Melanie Stansbury went further, describing the Justice Department’s involvement as evidence of a cover-up designed to shield Bondi from testifying under oath about the Epstein files publication. Stansbury reported that during the meeting, Justice Department officials argued Bondi was not obligated to answer certain questions because she was participating voluntarily and was not under oath.
The Justice Department had indicated in a Thursday letter to committee chairman James Comer that agency officials would attend the interview following longstanding protocol for congressional meetings with former department personnel. Dhillon later stated she and Guynn attended for the agency since Bondi had been invited in her official capacity, calling this arrangement customary.
The interview occurred after months of negotiations. In March, the Oversight Committee had authorized a subpoena requiring Bondi to provide sworn testimony on April 14. Following her dismissal as attorney general in April, Bondi declined to appear, arguing the subpoena addressed her in her capacity as a Trump administration official. Comer subsequently arranged for Friday’s transcribed interview, which did not require an oath but still subjected Bondi to federal laws against making false statements.
Notably, aside from Chairman Comer, no Republican committee members attended the interview. Comer had previously stated lawmakers were treating the Epstein files investigation seriously and seeking to provide truth to the American public.
Democrats reported the session yielded minimal new information. Garcia noted that Bondi repeatedly attributed responsibility to current acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, stating he led the Epstein investigation. Virginia Representative Suhas Subramanyam characterized the interview as unimpressive and disappointing, though he affirmed the investigation would continue.
During her time as attorney general, Bondi faced criticism over the Epstein files release, which followed bipartisan legislation directing the Justice Department to publish all documents related to the deceased trafficker. The initial release contained redaction errors that inadvertently revealed names and photographs of some victims.
In her opening statement to the committee, Bondi reportedly defended the Justice Department’s actions and expressed pride in the agency’s transparency during her tenure. She stated that justice and transparency in the matter had been delivered under President Trump’s administration’s direction.
The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between congressional oversight efforts and executive branch prerogatives, particularly regarding sensitive investigations and document releases involving high-profile cases.
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