Overview
- Deputy Attorney General Patrick D. Davis told the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday that Pam Bondi is not obligated to appear because she was subpoenaed in her official role and no longer serves as attorney general, and he asked the panel to withdraw the subpoena.
- The committee rejected that stance and said it will contact Bondi’s personal lawyer to set next steps for her testimony, while acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said he would leave the matter to Chair James Comer and the panel.
- Members from both parties said Bondi must still appear, with Democrat Robert Garcia warning of contempt if she refuses and Republican Nancy Mace arguing the subpoena names Bondi rather than the title she held.
- The panel approved the subpoena in a bipartisan vote on March 4 to question how the Justice Department handled and released files from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
- Lawmakers are pressing over transparency because DOJ released about 3 million pages from a set exceeding 6 million, with critics citing delays, inconsistent redactions, and unexplained removals of some files, a fight that could move to court if Congress pursues contempt or civil enforcement.