Fiery showdown over Epstein files: Pam Bondi vs lawmakers — 5 key moments

Attorney General Pam Bondi’s quality earlier the House Judiciary Committee was meant to dependable the vessel aft months of contention implicit the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Instead, it descended into 1 of the astir combative hearings of her tenure.For much than 4 hours, Bondi faced furious questioning from Democrats and pointed scrutiny from astatine slightest 1 Republican implicit redactions, the vulnerability of victims’ idiosyncratic details, and accusations of a governmental cover-up. With Epstein survivors seated straight down her, the optics were stark. Lawmakers accused the section of failing some transparency and basal attraction for victims.

Bondi, however, chose confrontation implicit contrition. She forcefully defended President Donald Trump, dismissed allegations of a cover-up, and repeatedly clashed with members of the committee. Here are 5 cardinal moments that defined the hearing.

Survivors successful the country — and a refusal to apologise

One of the astir almighty moments came early, erstwhile Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal asked Epstein survivors seated successful the proceeding country to stand. She past pressed Bondi to apologise not lone for the maltreatment they endured — which Bondi had acknowledged successful her opening remarks — but for the Justice Department’s nonaccomplishment to decently redact delicate accusation successful the released files.

Bondi declined to apologise for the redaction failures. Instead, she accused Jayapal of engaging successful “theatrics” and said officials had done their “very champion successful the clip framework allotted” nether the authorities mandating merchandise of the files. She insisted that immoderate accusation released inadvertently had been “immediately redacted” erstwhile identified.At 1 point, erstwhile urged again to code the survivors down her, Bondi refused to crook around, saying she would not “get successful the gutter”.

The infinitesimal underscored the cardinal hostility of the hearing: whether the section had prioritised velocity and authorities implicit victims’ dignity.

The Massie clash: 'Bigger than Watergate'

While Democrats hammered Bondi, 1 of the astir striking exchanges came from Republican Representative Thomas Massie, who helped propulsion the authorities forcing disclosure of the Epstein files.Massie accused the section of improperly redacting names of individuals who were not legally entitled to protection.

He specifically raised the lawsuit of billionaire Les Wexner, whose sanction had initially been blacked retired successful a conception referencing imaginable transgression conduct.

Bondi responded that Wexner’s sanction had been restored “within 40 minutes”. Massie changeable back: “Within 40 minutes of maine catching you red-handed.”Calling the contented “bigger than Watergate”, Massie argued the handling of the files reflected a cover-up spanning aggregate administrations.

Bondi dismissed his enactment of questioning arsenic a “political joke” and accused him of being a “failed politician” with “Trump derangement syndrome”.The speech chopped done the broader partisan noise. Unlike galore Democratic attacks that dissolved into shouting matches, Massie’s questioning straight challenged the department’s credibility connected circumstantial redactions — and near Bondi connected the defensive.

Trump takes centre stage

Though the proceeding was astir Epstein, it often became a level for Bondi to support President Trump.“You beryllium present and you onslaught the president and I’m not going to person it,” she told lawmakers. At different constituent she declared, “There is nary grounds that Donald Trump has committed a crime. Everyone knows that.”

When Democratic Representative Ted Lieu referenced unsubstantiated tips successful the files mentioning Trump, Bondi angrily replied: “Don’t you ever impeach maine of committing a crime,” aft Lieu suggested she was misleading the committee.Bondi besides praised the banal market’s show nether Trump, citing grounds highs successful the Dow and Nasdaq, and suggested lawmakers should absorption connected that instead. Critics rapidly noted that marketplace show was not the Judiciary Committee’s remit.Her repeated alignment with Trump marked a departure from accepted Justice Department region from the White House. Rather than positioning herself arsenic an autarkic instrumentality enforcement official, Bondi openly formed herself arsenic the president’s defender.

Misfires and walkouts

Bondi’s assertive attack did not ever onshore cleanly.In 1 exchange, she criticised Democratic Representative Becca Balint implicit a ballot related to antisemitism. Balint responded that she was the granddaughter of a Holocaust unfortunate and shouted, “Are you serious?” earlier storming retired of the hearing.Bondi besides sparred with Jamie Raskin, the committee’s apical Democrat, calling him a “washed-up loser lawyer” during a heated speech implicit clip limits and questioning tactics.

Meanwhile, Democrats repeatedly accused her of moving a “massive Epstein cover-up” and siding with perpetrators implicit victims. They besides pointed to the department’s caller effort — rejected by a expansive assemblage — to indict Democratic lawmakers, fuelling claims of governmental weaponisation.Bondi insisted the section was focused connected reducing convulsive transgression and restoring its “core missions” aft what she described arsenic years of politicisation.

But by the extremity of the session, it was wide she had not travel to concede ground.

A uncommon infinitesimal of unity implicit threats

Amid the rancour, determination was a little intermission successful hostilities.Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell shifted the absorption to threats made against him and his family. He asked Bondi whether they were being investigated and appealed for assistance successful protecting lawmakers’ families successful an progressively volatile governmental climate.

Bondi responded: “None of you should beryllium threatened ever. None of your children should beryllium threatened. None of your families should beryllium threatened, and I volition enactment with you.”