Former Attorney General Pam Bondi made her first public appearance Friday since revealing her thyroid cancer diagnosis, arriving on Capitol Hill to testify before House lawmakers regarding the Justice Department’s handling of investigative files tied to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Bondi, 60, appeared before the House Oversight Committee wearing a white bandage on the front of her neck and declined to answer questions from reporters as she entered the hearing room.
In her opening remarks, Bondi defended the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein files and emphasized the administration’s commitment to transparency under President Donald Trump.
“I am deeply sorry for what any victim has been through, especially as a result of that monster,” Bondi said in her prepared statement. “The bottom line is: justice and transparency in this matter have been delivered at the direction of President Trump and his administration.”
The former attorney general had previously drawn scrutiny after claiming in February 2025 that a potential Epstein “client list” was “sitting” on her desk awaiting review. Months later, a joint DOJ-FBI memo concluded there was no evidence of a broader blackmail operation or additional co-conspirators who could be criminally charged.
House Oversight Chairman James Comer said lawmakers still believe significant information remains unreleased.
“This case hasn’t been thoroughly investigated,” Comer told reporters ahead of the hearing. “What documents remain? Why haven’t they been turned over? I want every document. I don’t want anything held back.”
Rep. Robert Garcia, the committee’s top Democrat, criticized the DOJ over the accidental release of personal information belonging to Epstein victims and accused Bondi of shifting blame onto Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Bondi defended the department’s actions, pointing to the release of nearly 3 million pages of records tied to the investigation.
“As the head of a large Department with broad responsibilities, I did not lead every aspect of this effort or conduct that document review myself,” Bondi stated. “The team of professionals who reviewed all of the materials that we collected assured me the only materials that were withheld were either non-responsive, privileged, or duplicative.”
The disclosures were ordered under the Epstein Files Transparency Act signed by President Trump in November 2025.
The DOJ’s July 2025 memo concluded that no evidence supported claims that Epstein blackmailed high-profile individuals or maintained a secret list of criminal co-conspirators. That determination sparked backlash from lawmakers in both parties, leading to the current Oversight Committee investigation.
Bondi also reportedly told lawmakers that Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year federal prison sentence, should “die in prison.”
Outside the hearing, several Epstein victims criticized federal investigators for failing to pursue what they described as important leads and claimed some records remain hidden from public view.
One victim, Danielle Benksy, alleged that references in Epstein-related communications to a “black bag” referred to cash payments made to young women and claimed Epstein accountant Richard Kahn had knowledge of the activity.
Victims and advocates also pointed to internal FBI communications from July 2025 discussing the creation of a spreadsheet cataloging derogatory information involving numerous high-profile figures, including President Trump, former President Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew.
Bondi’s appearance marked the second voluntary testimony from a former Trump Cabinet official before the Oversight panel this year following Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s recent interview with lawmakers.
The post Former AG Pam Bondi Defends DOJ Handling Of Epstein Files In First Public Appearance Since Cancer Diagnosis appeared first on Real News Now.
About Author
