House Panel Subpoenas Pam Bondi to Testify on Epstein Files; Democrats File Contempt Charges

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has rejected former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi’s attempt to evade a congressional subpoena following her removal from office. After she failed to appear for a scheduled deposition on April 14, the committee announced that Bondi must testify on May 29.

In a separate move, Democrats on the committee filed contempt of Congress charges against Bondi, accusing her of illegally defying the committee, skipping her deposition, and refusing to cooperate. Representative Robert Garcia, the committee’s ranking Democrat, stated:

"Bondi has extensive personal knowledge about the Trump Administration’s handling of the Epstein files, and regardless of her job title, her testimony and cooperation are crucial."

The Republican majority dismissed the contempt charges as "theater and completely unnecessary", though they reaffirmed their demand for Bondi’s testimony. In a post on X, the committee wrote:

"They were happy giving the Clintons a free pass for months," the committee said, though President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have already testified before the panel. "We have secured Bondi’s appearance for May 29. Today, we’re marking up legislation to tackle fraud at the federal level, and all Democrats can talk about is Epstein."

Earlier this month, a committee spokesperson claimed Bondi would not attend the April 14 deposition because she was no longer Attorney General and had been subpoenaed in that capacity. Until Wednesday, Republican Oversight Chair James Comer faced criticism from Democrats for delaying a decision on whether Bondi would testify and for altering the hearing process.

The scrutiny on Bondi intensifies amid ongoing investigations into the Department of Justice (DOJ)’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein files during her tenure. The DOJ’s Inspector General’s Office and the Government Accountability Office are probing the department’s release of the files. Additionally, journalist Katie Phang filed a lawsuit against the DOJ on Monday, alleging a "brazen, shocking, and ongoing violation" of the Epstein Files Transparency Act for failing to publish all government records related to the convicted sex offender.