House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer formally subpoenaed Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday to testify about the Justice Department's handling of the files related to the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
In a public letter, Comer said the committee is examining the possible mismanagement of the federal investigation into Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, the circumstances surrounding Epstein's death, and whether the Justice Department complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The subpoena orders Bondi to appear for a deposition on April 14.
Comer's move came after the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform approved a motion earlier this month authorizing the subpoena. In his letter, the Kentucky Republican said lawmakers want answers about how the department collected, reviewed, and decided what to release from the Epstein records. He argued Bondi is central to that process because, as attorney general, she directly oversees the department's review and disclosure decisions under the transparency law.
The DOJ has been accused of over-redacting documents, withholding material beyond what lawmakers say the law permits, and, in some cases, failing to adequately protect victims' identities. Lawmakers have also complained that the department declined to publish a large volume of records while citing legal privileges.
The Justice Department pushed back immediately, calling the subpoena "completely unnecessary.'' DOJ officials said Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche were already scheduled to provide a private briefing to members of the committee on March 18. The department also said lawmakers have been invited to review unredacted files at a Justice Department facility and insisted Bondi has remained available for conversations with Congress as implementation of the Epstein Files Transparency Act continues.
Bondi has said more than 500 Justice Department lawyers were involved in reviewing the vast collection of records on a compressed timetable. DOJ officials have acknowledged mistakes in the rollout but denied accusations that they were trying to shield powerful people connected to Epstein. The Department also says it worked quickly and in good faith to release the millions of pages required by law, while correcting redaction errors when victims raised concerns.
The political stakes are high because the Epstein case continues to draw intense public interest years after the financier's 2019 death in federal custody. Epstein had long cultivated ties with influential political and business figures before and after his 2008 conviction in Florida for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
His death in jail while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges was ruled a suicide, but questions about the case and who may have been connected to him have remained a source of national controversy. Epstein has been linked to numerous public figures, including Trump, former President Bill Clinton and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
