Attorney General Pam Bondi Faces Fiery Congressional Hearing Over Epstein Files
In a dramatic and contentious session on Capitol Hill, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi testified before the House Judiciary Committee on February 11, 2026. The hearing, which lasted for four intense hours, centered on the Department of Justice's handling of documents related to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein and his network.
Heated Exchanges and Personal Insults
The atmosphere in the Rayburn House Office Building was electric as Democratic lawmakers, joined by one Republican representative, grilled Bondi about the Epstein files. The proceedings quickly devolved into what observers described as a shouting match, with personal insults flying across the room.
At one particularly explosive moment, Bondi mocked Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), calling him a "washed-up, loser lawyer — not even a lawyer." This came after Raskin had accused the attorney general of showing little interest in Epstein's victims and siding with perpetrators in various cases.
Victims Present but Unacknowledged
Several of Epstein's victims attended the hearing, creating a poignant backdrop to the political theater. Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) asked these survivors and family members to stand and raise their hands if they had not been able to meet with the Department of Justice. When all raised their hands, Jayapal offered Bondi an opportunity to engage with them directly.
Instead of accepting this invitation, Bondi declined, stating she would not "get in the gutter for her theatrics." This response drew sharp criticism from committee members who accused the attorney general of ignoring those most affected by Epstein's crimes.
Questions About Redactions and Transparency
A central point of contention involved the redaction practices applied to the Epstein documents. Lawmakers from both parties questioned why some potential co-conspirators had their names redacted while some victims' identities were revealed in the released files.
Representative Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) presented three documents he described as "emblematic of the massive failure of the DOJ to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act." He accused the department of "literally the worst thing you could do to the survivors."
In response to these allegations, Bondi offered a conditional defense: "If any man's name was redacted that should not have been, we will of course unredact it. If a victim's name was unredacted, please bring it to us, and we will redact it."
Vague Answers on Ongoing Investigations
When pressed about potential indictments related to Epstein's crimes, Bondi provided only vague assurances. In response to questioning from Republican Representative Chip Roy of Texas, she stated, "We have pending investigations in our office," without offering specifics about who might be under scrutiny or what crimes were being investigated.
This lack of concrete information frustrated committee members who had hoped for more transparency about the Justice Department's handling of one of the most high-profile cases in recent memory.
Post-Hearing Reactions
Following the explosive session, reactions varied dramatically along partisan lines. Raskin expressed disbelief that "the attorney general of the United States of America would appear before hundreds of millions of Americans this way and then have a book of insults that she's ready to lob at members of Congress."
In contrast, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan offered a positive assessment, stating he thought Bondi "handled herself very well" and expected Democrats to be aggressive in their questioning. Jordan added that under Bondi and the president's leadership, "crime is down."
The hearing highlighted deep divisions in how different political factions view the Justice Department's approach to the Epstein case, with victims' advocates expressing disappointment at what they perceived as inadequate attention to survivor concerns.
