Overview
- Attorney General Pam Bondi endured a combative House Judiciary hearing, refused to turn and apologize to survivors when pressed, and asserted there is no evidence Donald Trump committed a crime in the released records.
- The Justice Department released millions of Epstein-related pages, then pulled several thousand files after victims and attorneys flagged disclosures that exposed names and images intended to be protected by law.
- Republican Thomas Massie and other lawmakers accused the department of flouting the Epstein Files Transparency Act, highlighting redactions that initially concealed associates such as Leslie Wexner before DOJ unredacted his name within minutes.
- Epstein survivors and their advocates said outreach has been lacking, with all victims present raising their hands to indicate they had not met with DOJ officials during a show-of-hands request by Rep. Pramila Jayapal.
- Photographs from the hearing appeared to show Bondi holding documents labeled with members’ search histories from DOJ viewing terminals, prompting bipartisan concern, calls for accountability from some Republicans, and a public defense of Bondi by President Trump.