Attorney General Pam Bondi sparred with members of the House Judiciary Committee during a tense hearing Wednesday, as she sought to defend the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and push back on Democrats’ accusations of so-called “weaponization” within the department.
Bondi’s appearance before the House Judiciary Committee was the first since her confirmation last year as the top U.S. law enforcement official. Much of the hearing quickly descended into chaos and shouting matches, as Democrats took aim at Bondi’s actions, and as Bondi doubled down on the department’s decisions under her watch. At times, she responded with barbs of her own.
Here are the five biggest takeaways and most heated exchanges from the sharp-elbowed hearing.
BONDI HEARING DEVOLVES INTO CHAOS OF SHOUTS AS AG ACCUSES TOP DEMOCRATS OF ‘THEATRICS’
Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., accused Bondi of lying under oath about an alleged witness statement that he said showed President Donald Trump had been accused of rape, saying: “You just lied under oath.”
“Don’t you ever accuse me of a crime!” Bondi fired back: The exchange spiraled into chaos, with Jordan struggling to restore order.
“This is so ridiculous,” Bondi said in response. “And they are trying to deflect from all the great things Donald Trump has done. There is no evidence that Donald Trump has committed a crime; everyone knows that!”
One of the most widely-shared moments came during an exchange with Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who demanded that Bondi turn around and apologize to the Epstein survivors seated behind her in the House gallery for publishing documents that failed to redact their names.
“Will you turn to the survivors … and apologize?” Jayapal asked, accusing the department of compounding their trauma. Bondi refused, beginning to cite the actions of the former administration before Jayapal interjected.
“This is not about anybody that came before you. It is about you taking responsibility for your Department of Justice and the harm that it has done to the survivors who are standing right behind you and are waiting for you to turn to them and apologize,” Jayapal said.
“I’m not going to get in the gutter for her theatrics,” she shot back, before muttering moments later, “Unprofessional.”
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Notably, some Republicans also posed tough questions for Bondi, largely centered on the handling and publication of the Epstein files.
Among them was Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who criticized the redactions that occurred on Bondi’s watch.
Massie noted that, in his view, DOJ was “over-redacting” certain information that could be potentially incriminating, while failing to redact the names of the victims.
“This cover-up spans decades, and you are responsible for this portion of it,” he told her.
In response, Bondi shot back that Massie was a “failed politician” with “Trump derangement syndrome.”
House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, intervened multiple times as members sparred over procedure and “reclaiming” time.
Bondi confirmed that she received a criminal referral from the House Judiciary Committee alleging that former CIA Director John Brennan lied to Congress.
The news came during an exchange with Jordan, who asked Bondi if Brennan would be indicted.
The reference comes as the Justice Department for months has been investigating Brennan and others over the origins of the 2016 Russia investigation — a probe Democrats have assailed as politically motivated.
“What I can confirm is that we have received a referral from you, Chairman Jordan, to investigate John Brennan,” Bondi said, responding to Jordan’s question whether Brennan would be indicted.
She added: “What I will say today I can’t confirm nor deny whether there’s a pending investigation, but what I will say [is] that no one is above the law. Weaponization has ended.”
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At one point, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) directly asked Bondi how many Epstein coconspirators had been indicted by the Justice Department on her watch.
“How many of Epstein’s co-conspirators have you indicted? How many perpetrators are you even investigating?” Nadler asked.
Bondi did not provide a number. Instead, she shifted the focus to criticism of past impeachment proceedings and reiterated that the department would investigate credible evidence that is brought forward.
Nadler interjected sharply: “The answer is zero.”
