Former Attorney General Pam Bondi is set to appear before House Oversight and Government Reform Committee investigators on Friday, marking a partial victory for the panel after the Department of Justice (DOJ) tried to shield her from questioning about the Jeffrey Epstein case. The session, however, comes with significant constraints that have frustrated Democrats and raised questions about its transparency.
Bondi will not be formally deposed but will participate in a transcribed interview, an arrangement that Democrats say undermines the subpoena issued earlier this year. Adding to the tension, Bondi will be accompanied by Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, a move that Democrats argue creates a clear conflict of interest. Representative Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the ranking member on the Oversight Committee, wrote to Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) earlier this month, warning that Dhillon’s involvement violates DOJ policy. “There would be a clear conflict of interest between Ms. Dhillon’s duties to DOJ and to Ms. Bondi individually,” Garcia stated.
In a Thursday letter from the DOJ obtained by The Hill, the department sought to narrow the scope of questioning to only the Epstein files, preventing Democrats from raising broader issues. The DOJ also aimed to limit the interview to two hours, a relatively brief period compared to typical high-profile depositions. The department declined to comment further.
Bondi was subpoenaed in March following a surprise motion by Representative Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), which garnered support from four GOP colleagues and all Democrats on the panel. Mace cited missing documents and videos as the driving force behind her push. “There’s over 65,000 documents missing, and we know there are more than 2,000 videos that are out there. They’re not giving Congress all the information or all the documents, and they’re obfuscating,” Mace told reporters. She emphasized her desire for pointed answers, not general economic talk, referencing Bondi’s previous congressional appearance where she praised the Dow.
The subpoena places Bondi among a series of attorneys general over the past two decades called to testify about the investigation into deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Democrats have a slate of questions ready. Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) previously told The Hill that Bondi “violated a congressional subpoena demanding the files, and she repeatedly, over her entire term of service as the AG, engaged in manufactured lies to the American people over the Epstein case.” Stansbury also claimed there are “dozens of potentially prosecutable crimes” in the unredacted files that have not been pursued.
Bondi and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche met with the committee behind closed doors in March, but Democrats walked out, accusing Bondi of sidestepping her obligations. Garcia said at the time, “The attorney general would not commit to following the subpoena and coming in under oath, yet she wants to come in and set up some type of fake hearing where we ask questions, but it’s not transcribed, it’s not under oath, and it’s not shown to the American people.” Comer dismissed the walkout as a “premeditated stunt.”
After President Trump fired Bondi in April, the DOJ informed the committee that she no longer needed to testify. Assistant Attorney General Patrick Davis wrote, “Ms. Bondi no longer holds that office. As a result, because Ms. Bondi no longer can testify in her official capacity as Attorney General, the Department’s position is that the subpoena no longer obligates her to appear.” Some Republicans who initially backed the subpoena wavered. Representative Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) described Bondi as not particularly knowledgeable about the Epstein files, saying, “First thing she said was she’s going to release all this stuff that nobody had, and it was stuff everybody had. … I think she just didn’t have the knowledge of any of that stuff.”
Comer reached out to Bondi, telling The Hill he did not want the committee to be ignored. Under the terms reached in April, Bondi will not be sworn in or have her testimony recorded on video. Garcia criticized the lack of filming, writing, “Filming and releasing a recording are critical to providing the public with an unvarnished, candid view of Ms. Bondi’s testimony and capturing aspects that a transcript simply cannot, such as her demeanor, expression, and conduct.” Bondi will also not be required to provide a rationale for declining to answer questions, such as asserting executive privilege or the Fifth Amendment.
The interview comes amid broader scrutiny of the Epstein case and the Trump administration’s handling of related documents. For more on the controversy, see our coverage of Epstein survivors skeptical Bondi will deliver answers in House hearing and Bondi blames Blanche for Epstein file chaos, refuses Trump questions in House interview.
