Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday faced one of her most ruthless public hearings since her confirmation last year, as Democrats demonized the Department of Justice’s Epstein files release efforts.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) began his questioning of Bondi with lofty accusations, saying she had been “abandoning victims and coddling perpetrators,” referencing relatives of the late Virginia Giuffre, one of the first whistleblowers and victims of Epstein, seated behind the attorney general. He urged her not to “waste one second” of the committee’s time, which was attended by at least 11 victims of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Bondi defended her record as a career prosecutor and addressed the victims directly.
“I am deeply sorry for what any victim — any victim — has been through, especially as a result of that monster,” she said, saying the DOJ is always accepting interviews with survivors to examine whether any additional conspirators should be brought to justice.
Tensions escalated after Epstein survivors stand up
The tone of the hearing steeply declined once Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) asked the victims standing behind Bondi to raise their hands if they had not met with Trump’s DOJ. All of them did.
Bondi declined to turn around and acknowledge several women, characterizing the demands from Democrats, such as Jayapal, as “theatrics.”
“This isn’t a circus, this is a hearing,” Bondi said at one point amid outbursts and chatter that required committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) to restore order to the room. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) whispered in response to Bondi: “And you’re the clown.”
Democrats’ criticism of Bondi later pivoted to the DOJ’s conduct, ever since Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which set a Dec. 19 deadline for the DOJ to release every file in its possession. Not only was the DOJ weeks late in making files public under the law’s dead, activists and dozens of lawmakers have argued the tranches of more than 3 million documents that have since been released were marred by inconsistent redactions, in some cases involving exposed nude photos and other sensitive material of survivors, while shielding the names of those allegedly tied to Epstein.
Lawmakers who have advocated in support of the release, including Raskin and the law’s lead Republican sponsor, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), have also said that an additional 3 million documents are still being withheld from the public.
Bondi defends DOJ’s release effort and points out Democrats’ selective victim outrage
Bondi shot back that the department has been proactive, responding daily to concerns about the files. She said the DOJ has been unredacting any information that should be made public and said there have been subsequent redactions of any information related to victims that might have been exposed via the online web portal. She also mentioned that the transparency law’s 30-day deadline to release all the files made the task an enormous undertaking, despite more than 500 personnel assisting in the effort.
The hearing repeatedly veered beyond the scope of the Epstein disclosures. At one point, Bondi pivoted to tout economic gains under President Donald Trump, a moment that drew mocking laughter from several members in the room and was highly rebuked on social media.
On multiple occasions, when pressed about the files, she countered by highlighting unrelated violent crimes, including the killings of Border Patrol agent David Chris Malin and Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian immigrant stabbed in North Carolina.
BALINT: Was the president aware of Secretary Lutnick's ties to Epstein when he chose him to lead the Department of Commerce?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 11, 2026
BONDI: Chris Malen was a Border Patrol agent—-
BALINT: So I'm going to conclude that he did know!
BONDI: Shame on you
BALINT: This is pathetic! This… pic.twitter.com/C1FC6LLIEw
“Who is Chris Malin?” she asked Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT), highlighting a lack of concern for victims such as him in her state.
Bondi shoots back after ‘lying under oath’ accusation
One of the most heated exchanges came with Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), who accused Bondi of lying under oath after referencing an FBI witness statement alleging misconduct by Trump.
“Don’t you ever accuse me of a crime,” Bondi shot back, maintaining there is no evidence Trump committed a criminal offense in connection with Epstein. She noted the witness cited by Lieu was not interviewed by the department.
Lieu: Were there any underage girls at that party or any party that Trump attended with Jeffrey Epstein.
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 11, 2026
Bondi: There is no evidence that Donald Trump has committed a crime
Lieu: I believe you just lied under oath.
Bondi: DON’T YOU EVER ACCUSE ME OF A CRIME
Lieu: I’m showing… pic.twitter.com/wFqTnh7acm
Massie joins in Democratic maelstrom against Bondi
Massie also joined his Democratic counterparts across the aisle in their tirade against Bondi, which included bringing three separate poster boards he used to question the attorney general’s redaction process. He rebuked her over the exposure of victims’ personal information, telling her it was “literally the worst thing you could do to survivors.”
Bondi’s handling of Trump’s campaign promise to release the Epstein files has become one of the most pointed attack points from both Democrats and some Republicans. More recently, Massie has pointed out that much of the Epstein files processing has passed from Bondi over to Trump’s Deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche.
LIVE UPDATES: BONDI TO FACE QUESTIONS ON EPSTEIN FILES RELEASE IN DOJ OVERSIGHT HEARING
Bondi, who acknowledged that Trump’s name appears “countless” times in the Epstein files but said he is not criminally implicated, accused Massie of focusing on the files because he has “Trump derangement syndrome.”
She called the Kentucky Republican a “hypocrite” for his exhaustive focus on Epstein despite voting “no” on a law signed by Trump that directs social media platforms to remove AI deepfake pornography of innocent victims.
