Congressional Democrats on Wednesday accused US Attorney General Pam Bondi of orchestrating a “cover-up” in the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and turning the Department of Justice (DOJ) into what they described as an “instrument of revenge” for President Donald Trump.
Bondi appeared before the House Judiciary Committee to defend the DOJ’s management of the release of documents related to Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking underage girls.
During the contentious hearing—attended by several of Epstein’s victims—Bondi maintained that the department had complied with the law and noted that “pending investigations” remain open, though she did not provide details.
Her deputy, Todd Blanche, recently indicated that no further prosecutions were expected in connection with Epstein, whose network included prominent business leaders, politicians, celebrities, and academics.
Slow Release, Redactions Questioned
Jamie Raskin, the committee’s ranking Democrat, criticized the pace and scope of the document release. He alleged that the DOJ had failed to fully comply with congressional demands.
“You’re running a massive Epstein cover-up right out of the Department of Justice,” Raskin said. He noted that while Congress subpoenaed six million documents, photographs, and videos, only three million had been released.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed in November, required the DOJ to release all related records within 30 days, with redactions limited to protecting the identities of victims, who the FBI has said number more than 1,000.
The law explicitly states that individuals connected to Epstein cannot be shielded from disclosure “on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”
Raskin argued that names of alleged “abusers, enablers, accomplices and co-conspirators” had been improperly redacted, while claiming that in some instances victims’ names were insufficiently protected.
In response, Bondi said hundreds of DOJ attorneys spent thousands of hours reviewing the documents under a strict deadline.
“If any man’s name was redacted that should not have been, we will, of course, unredact it,” she said. “If a victim’s name was unredacted please bring it to us and we will redact it.
“We were given 30 days to review and redact and unredact millions of pages of documents. Our error rate is very low.”
Heated Exchanges
The hearing was marked by sharp exchanges, with Bondi repeatedly declining to answer some direct questions from Democratic lawmakers. She also refused a request to personally apologize to the victims present, though she expressed regret for their suffering.
Democrats further accused the DOJ of pursuing politically motivated prosecutions against Trump’s perceived adversaries, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
“You’ve turned the people’s Department of Justice into Trump’s instrument of revenge,” Raskin said. “Trump orders up prosecutions like pizza and you deliver every time he tells you to.”
Political Pressure and Public Suspicion
Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former associate, remains the only person imprisoned in connection with the case. She was convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking underage girls and is serving a 20-year sentence.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein, though he previously sought to block the release of the files concerning his former acquaintance. Ultimately, political pressure—including from members of his own party—led to the passage of the transparency law.
The controversy reflects longstanding public suspicion that powerful individuals connected to Epstein may have been protected from scrutiny.
Trump’s past statements have drawn renewed attention, including a 2019 FBI interview with former Palm Beach Police Chief Michael Reiter. According to the interview, Reiter told investigators that Trump had called him in 2006, when the allegations against Epstein became public, saying, “Thank goodness you’re stopping him, everyone has known he’s been doing this.”
What you should know
Democrats have accused Attorney General Pam Bondi of mishandling and selectively redacting the release of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents, alleging a cover-up.
Bondi insists the DOJ complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act under tight deadlines and maintains investigations are ongoing.
The dispute highlights broader political tensions over transparency, accountability, and allegations that powerful figures linked to Epstein have been shielded from scrutiny.
