US Attorney General Pam Bondi forcefully pushed back against Democrats during a heated House Judiciary Committee hearing, which lasted for more than five hours on Wednesday, focused on the release and handling of files connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The tense exchange quickly escalated as lawmakers pressed Bondi with pointed questions and accusations, prompting a sharp response. Democrats argued that the files appeared to name survivors while shielding the identities of people who may have committed crimes, and said no clear explanation was given for those choices.
It marked the attorney general’s first appearance before Congress since a chaotic hearing in October, where she repeatedly sidestepped questions and responded to Democratic criticism with sharp political counterattacks. The Wednesday hearing took place just days after several lawmakers visited a Justice Department office to review unredacted versions of the files. Under an agreement with the department, they were allowed to examine more than 3 million released documents in a secure reading room with four computers and could take handwritten notes only.
Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington urged Bondi to apologize to survivors of Epstein’s alleged crimes who were seated in the public gallery during the department’s release of the files.
Bondi pushed back by questioning why Jayapal had not raised the same issue with her predecessor under Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration. She added that she would not 'get in the gutter' for what she described as Jayapal’s theatrics.
"I am not going to get in the gutter with these people," she shouted at one point as the exchanges became increasingly heated.
During the tense hearing, Democrats accused the Justice Department of helping cover things up and not doing enough to protect victims. Bondi was also questioned about whether US President Donald Trump had ever attended a party involving underage girls. She dismissed the allegation, calling it a 'ridiculous question', and did not give a direct answer that satisfied lawmakers.
In a heated exchange with California Representative Ted Lieu, Bondi said critics were trying to distract from Trump’s record. "They are trying to deflect from all the great things Donald Trump has done," she said. "There is no evidence that Donald Trump has committed a crime. Everyone knows that."
Bondi remained defiant throughout the hearing, repeatedly clashing with Democratic lawmakers. She consistently pushed back against their claims and positioned herself as a strong defender of the Republican president, refusing to engage with accusations she said were politically motivated.
In one of the most heated moments of the hearing, Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin accused Bondi of avoiding direct answers to important questions. Bondi fired back by calling him a 'washed-up loser lawyer' and claimed he was 'not even a lawyer', further intensifying the clash.
It marked the attorney general’s first appearance before Congress since a chaotic hearing in October, where she repeatedly sidestepped questions and responded to Democratic criticism with sharp political counterattacks. The Wednesday hearing took place just days after several lawmakers visited a Justice Department office to review unredacted versions of the files. Under an agreement with the department, they were allowed to examine more than 3 million released documents in a secure reading room with four computers and could take handwritten notes only.
Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington urged Bondi to apologize to survivors of Epstein’s alleged crimes who were seated in the public gallery during the department’s release of the files.
Bondi pushed back by questioning why Jayapal had not raised the same issue with her predecessor under Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration. She added that she would not 'get in the gutter' for what she described as Jayapal’s theatrics.
"I am not going to get in the gutter with these people," she shouted at one point as the exchanges became increasingly heated.
During the tense hearing, Democrats accused the Justice Department of helping cover things up and not doing enough to protect victims. Bondi was also questioned about whether US President Donald Trump had ever attended a party involving underage girls. She dismissed the allegation, calling it a 'ridiculous question', and did not give a direct answer that satisfied lawmakers.
In a heated exchange with California Representative Ted Lieu, Bondi said critics were trying to distract from Trump’s record. "They are trying to deflect from all the great things Donald Trump has done," she said. "There is no evidence that Donald Trump has committed a crime. Everyone knows that."
Bondi remained defiant throughout the hearing, repeatedly clashing with Democratic lawmakers. She consistently pushed back against their claims and positioned herself as a strong defender of the Republican president, refusing to engage with accusations she said were politically motivated.
In one of the most heated moments of the hearing, Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin accused Bondi of avoiding direct answers to important questions. Bondi fired back by calling him a 'washed-up loser lawyer' and claimed he was 'not even a lawyer', further intensifying the clash.
