A top House Democrat is asking for action after former Attorney General Pam Bondi did not show up for a required deposition about the Jeffrey Epstein files. This could lead to a contempt of Congress case in Washington.
Robert Garcia, a Democrat from California and the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee sent a letter to Chairman James Comer on Thursday. He wrote, “Any attempt to evade the subpoena must be met with measures to hold Ms. Bondi in contempt of Congress,” as per Newsweek.
Garcia also said that Bondi leaving the Department of Justice does not change anything. “The subpoena issued to Ms Bondi requires her to appear for a deposition, regardless of her departure from DOJ,” he wrote. He added that if she does not appear “immediately,” lawmakers “will begin contempt charges” against her.
Why Bondi was called to testify
Bondi was supposed to appear before the House Oversight Committee on April 14 to answer questions about how she handled the Epstein files. The decision to call her was supported by both parties. Some Republicans who backed it include Lauren Boebert, Tim Burchett, Michael Cloud, Nancy Mace and Scott Perry.
Before she was removed from her role, Bondi was already facing criticism over how the Department of Justice handled the release of Epstein-related records. According to Forbes, she had promised transparency at first but later released only limited information. After that, she and other DOJ officials announced that no more files would be voluntarily released, which led to strong backlash and pushed Congress to pass a law requiring the files to be released.
Bondi also faced criticism during a tense hearing before the House Judiciary Committee in February, where lawmakers from both parties questioned her handling of the case. She did not apologize to Epstein’s victims who were present.
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DOJ says subpoena no longer applies
President Donald Trump removed Pam Bondi from her role in early April and temporarily put her deputy Todd Blanche in charge of the Department of Justice. Because of this change, the department argued that the subpoena is no longer valid.
Assistant Attorney General Patrick Davis told the committee in a letter that since Bondi was subpoenaed “in her official capacity as Attorney General, rather than her personal capacity” and she “no longer holds that office,” the agency’s position is “that the subpoena no longer obligates her to appear on April 14,” according to Forbes.
The DOJ also told Newsweek earlier that, “The Department of Justice remains committed to working cooperatively with the Committee, but its subpoena to former AG Bondi was in her official capacity as Attorney General. Because of the leadership transition at the Department, the subpoena no longer applies.”
However, Robert Garcia disagreed with this argument. He said the subpoena was meant for Bondi herself, not just her position.
At the same time, Republicans on the committee said they are working with Bondi’s legal team to set a new date for her testimony in her personal capacity, though no date has been confirmed yet, according to Forbes.
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Ongoing controversy over Epstein files
The DOJ has released millions of pages of Epstein-related records but the process has faced criticism over delays, heavy redactions and concerns about protecting victims’ identities.
Lawmakers from both parties and Epstein survivors have raised concerns, leading to demands for more transparency and further testimony from Bondi.
Comer previously said there are still “questions regarding the Department of Justice’s handling of the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and his associates and its compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.” He added that Bondi was “directly responsible” for overseeing the process and has “valuable insight into these efforts.”
What happens next
It remains unclear what will happen next. According to Forbes, Republicans on the committee are working with Bondi’s legal team to possibly reschedule her testimony in a personal capacity. It is also unclear whether any Republicans would support contempt charges if Democrats move forward.
The committee has invited several high-profile figures to provide information in its investigation, including Les Wexner, Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton. Bill Gates is also scheduled to testify on June 10.
