A combative Attorney General Pam Bondi refused to answer questions about who is being investigated from the Epstein files and accused Democratic lawmakers of “theatrics” during a five-and-a-half-hour-long congressional hearing Wednesday.
In her appearance before the House Judiciary Committee, Bondi was largely asked about the Epstein files by Democrats but often provided tangential responses, including some praising President Donald Trump's achievements and others noting how well the stock market was performing.
The attorney general also received fierce backlash after she declined to turn to Epstein’s survivors and apologize to their faces.
Bondi later called the top Democrat in the committee a “washed-up loser lawyer" and accused Republican Thomas Massie of having "Trump derangement syndrome" after he asked about redactions to the names of alleged Epstein co-conspirators.
The Department of Justice has released millions of files but missed a legally-mandated December deadline to release the documents in their entirety.
The DOJ has also been widely criticized for redacting the names of alleged Epstein cohorts while exposing the names of survivors, some of whom had kept what had happened to them secret for decades.
Bondi admitted in a letter to federal judges this week that mistakes were made in the case.
Key Points
- Pam Bondi testifies before Congress over Epstein files handling - watch live
- Rep. Jamie Raskin introduces Epstein survivors to Pam Bondi
- Bondi refuses to turn and face survivors while apologizing
- 'This is so ridiculous' Bondi says after congressman asks if underage girls were at Epstein parties Trump attended
Pam Bondi testifies before Congress over Epstein files handling - watch live
15:11 , Isabel KeaneCommittee lawmakers slam Bondi on social media after hearing
21:15 , Isabel KeaneIf AG Bondi claims to care about Epstein survivors, why did she reveal their identities but redact the names of the rich pedophiles and sex abusers who hurt them?
— Rep. Becca Balint (@RepBeccaB) February 11, 2026
She must take accountability for this cover-up and finally deliver the justice these victims deserve.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has the power to hold the men in the Epstein files accountable.
— Rep. Ted Lieu (@RepTedLieu) February 11, 2026
But she’s doing the opposite. She’s protecting them. pic.twitter.com/KQkHFn3Mzq
.@AGPamBondi is merely one of Trump’s soldiers.
— Rep. Nadler (@RepJerryNadler) February 11, 2026
Trump has weaponized the DOJ, going after @NewYorkStateAG and his perceived political enemies.
The DOJ no longer works for the American people, but for Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/DeoawjZyeM
Rep. Jesus 'Chuy' Garcia addresses Bondi in Trump's 'own words'
21:11 , Isabel KeaneIn Trump’s own words, Pam Bondi is weak and ineffective. The American people reject her. pic.twitter.com/4mVyP48PEv
— Congressman Chuy García (@RepChuyGarcia) February 11, 2026
Rep. Thomas Massie jokes about Bondi 'burn book'
21:08 , Isabel KeaneA funny thing about Bondi’s insults to members of Congress who had serious questions:
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) February 11, 2026
Staff literally gave her flash cards with individualized insults, but she couldn’t memorize them, so you can see her shuffle through them to find the flash-cards-insult that matches the member. pic.twitter.com/2bSvj8aqfo
Internet reacts to Bondi hearing
21:02 , Isabel KeaneAttorney General Pam Bondi often responded combatively to heated questions from lawmakers during a congressional hearing over the Department of Justice’s handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein — and the Internet had a lot to say about it.
Many social media users took to X to comment on the contentious hearing, which lasted over five hours Wednesday.
Throughout the hearing, Bondi provided some answers to questions about Epstein, but would often pivot to other topics when questioned about the late convicted sex offender.
“Pam Bondi embarrassed the s*** out of herself today during the Epstein hearing. Total crash out,” one user wrote on X.
Pam Bondi embarrassed the shit out of herself today during the Epstein hearing.
— Mike Nellis (@MikeNellis) February 11, 2026
Total crash out. pic.twitter.com/FMn33awRSQ
“In a sign of how poorly this hearing is going for Pam Bondi, Fox News has cut away from live coverage which is highly unusual for a high-profile hearing of this sort,” journalist Aaron Rupar wrote on X.
In a sign of how poorly this hearing is going for Pam Bondi, Fox News has cut away from live coverage which is highly unusual for a high-profile hearing of this sort
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 11, 2026
Another user also noted Fox News’ coverage, writing on X, “Oh, dear. In a sign of how badly it's going for Trump's chief pedophile protector Pam Bondi, Fox News cut away from covering the hearing. Bondi has already been accused by Ted Lieu of perjuring herself. Nuremberg awaits.”
Oh, dear. In a sign of how badly it's going for Trump's chief pedophile protector Pam Bondi, Fox News cut away from covering the hearing. Bondi has already been accused by Ted Lieu of perjuring herself. Nuremberg awaits. 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣👇 pic.twitter.com/0bCsQN0CLY
— Bill Madden (@maddenifico) February 11, 2026
Other social media users tried to find humor in the oftentimes intense hearing
“Today’s Pam Bondi hearing, in a nutshell. Democratic Congresswoman: ‘Ms Bondi, there are a number of Epstein survivors in the room today. Could you turn around and acknowledge their presence?’ Bondi: ‘The Dow is up over 50,000! Acknowledge that!’” one X user joked.
Today’s Pam Bondi hearing, in a nutshell.
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) February 11, 2026
Democratic Congresswoman: “Ms Bondi, there are a number of Epstein survivors in the room today. Could you turn around and acknowledge their presence?”
Bondi: “The Dow is up over 50,000! Acknowledge that!”
Democrat begged Pam Bondi to use her 'Burn Book' to insult him
20:46 , Isabel KeaneDuring the hearing, Attorney General Pam Bondi was called out for using a “Burn Book” full of insults to use against the lawmakers questioning her.
Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz challenged Bondi to use her cheat sheet against him.
“So, because I’m curious, and I’d like to see, flip to the ‘Jared Moskowitz’ section of the binder. I’m interested to see what staff provided on the ‘oppo’ on me,” Moskowitz said. “And because we’re in the Olympics, I’m gonna give it a grade.”
Bondi then went after him for “mocking the Bible,” after he said Trump’s name appeared more in the Epstein files than God’s did in the Bible.
“You made a joke, and I find offense to that, that’s all I have to say to you. Shame,” she said.
Moskowitz was not discouraged and continued to encourage her to insult him.
“I want it from the burn book. Which is the best one? What you got?” he pressed.
Rep. Thomas Massie reacts after Bondi hearing concludes
20:34 , Isabel KeaneRepublican Rep. Thomas Massie, who gave Bondi some of the toughest questioning, stood by his claim that FBI Director Kash Patel’s prior testimony was false after the hearing concluded.
"I provided the evidence today that shows his statements were false, that Kash Patel's statements were false. They're in possession, they were in possession at the time, and they're still in possession of evidence that other men participated in the sex trafficking,” Massie said in a statement to The Independent.
Bondi hearing concludes
20:28 , Isabel KeaneAttorney General Pam Bondi concluded a hearing that lasted over five hours at the Capitol by shaking hands with Republican lawmakers before leaving the hearing room.
The hearing began Wednesday at 10 a.m. and ended just before 3:30 p.m.
Republican Rep. claims Democrats 'uncurious' about Bill Clinton's name in Epstein files
20:23 , Isabel KeaneRep. Michael Baumgartner said Americans are struggling to take Democrats seriously because they’ve been “so uncurious about President Clinton’s relations with Jeffrey Epstein.”
“You’d think there’d be more outrage about those types of things,” Baumgartner said before saying he wanted to talk about the “big things” the DOJ is doing, like decreasing violent crime.
Republican Rep. gives Bondi defense on disclosure of some victims' identities
20:15 , Isabel KeaneNorth Carolina Republican Rep. Brad Knott defended Bondi after Democrats criticized the DOJ’s disclosure of some victims’ identities.
“Many on this committee made very serious efforts...to give you the resources and time” to “thoroughly go through the file” and make sure victims were protected, he said.
Bondi backs prosecution of anti-ICE demonstrators at Minnesota church
20:08 , Isabel KeaneBondi stood behind the prosecution of anti-ICE protesters who interrupted a church service in Minneapolis.
The attorney general said she would prosecute “unauthorized entry with the intent of disrupting, even when it’s a blogger like Don Lemon.”
Texas Rep. Crockett thanks survivors for courage
20:05 , Isabel KeaneTexas Rep. Jasmine Crockett did not ask Bondi questions during her five minutes, but kicked off her time by thanking Epstein survivors for their bravery.
“They are not victims, they are survivors. Let me say, thank you for having more courage in your pinky fingers than the entire Department of Justice,” Crockett said.
“We are currently the laughing stock of the world, partially because of the failed leadership in the DOJ,” she added.
Crockett continued digging into Bondi, later noting, “I completely don’t get how it is that you’re sitting at the top of DOJ because you don’t seem to be good at your job.”
Rep. slams Bondi and Trump for having 'zero credibility'
19:54 , Isabel KeaneCalifornia Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove says Bondi and Trump have “zero credibility” following “disappointing” answer from attorney general.
Kamlager-Dove asked Bondi if she thought President Trump undermined public trust in law enforcement by suggesting that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was involved in the murder of former Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman.
“I’m not familiar with that statement,” Bondi replied.
“Well, that is a disappointing response,” Kamlager-Dove began.
She then added, “And it is also why your office and Donald Trump have zero credibility. Becuase i know, and you know it was a right-wing extremist who murdered the Hortmans.”
Rep. asks Bondi if she'll commit to releasing unredacted version of Epstein email
19:44 , Isabel KeaneRep. Dan Goldman asked Bondi if she would agree to share an unredacted version of an Epstein email “so that the American people can understand the extent of Donald Trump’s lies about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.”
Bondi claimed it was privileged, to which Goldman replied, “Quiet.”
“Don’t yell at me!” Bondi fired back.
Bondi later said the DOJ would review the email and if it is not privileged, it would be released.
Bondi believes local law enforcement in Minnesota 'wish' they could work with DOJ to 'make their cities safe'
19:40 , Isabel KeaneWhen questioned about what’s happening in Minnesota by Rep. Glenn Grothman, a Republican from Wisconsin, Bondi said she thinks law enforcement in the state “wishes” they could work with ICE.
“I did spend four days in Minnesota and I believe many of the local law enforcement wish they could work with us to make their city safe,” Bondi said.
Trump's name appears more times in Epstein files than God is mentioned in the Bible
19:37 , Isabel KeaneFlorida Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz says President Donald Trump was named more times in the Epstein files than God is mentioned in the Bible.
“Kash Patel, under oath, said Trump’s name appears 100 times in the files. We now know that’s not true,” Moskowitz said.
“Trump’s name appears more times in the Epstein files than God’s name appears in the book about God,” he said, quickly adding, “By the way, this is the Trump Bible.”
Moskowitz also noted that Trump’s name appears more often in the Epstein files than Harry Potter’s name appeared in all seven books in the series.
Bondi asked if others will be indicted and prosecuted
19:29 , Isabel KeaneRep. Chip Roy, a Republican from Texas, asked Bondi if anyone aside from Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein will be indicted and prosecuted, given the information revealed in the files.
Bondi used her response to slam Democrats, claiming, “They never wanted to hear the answer to that,” but declined to give a definite answer.
“We have pending investigations in our office,” she said.
Illinois lawmaker urges Bondi to 'resign now'
19:22 , Isabel KeaneIllinois Rep. Jesus Garcia urged Bondi to "resign now and submit yourself to accountability by the American people."
Garcia called Bondi “weak and ineffective” before urging Bondi to resign.
Illinois Rep. Jesus Garcia accuses Bondi of 'hiding' from committee before calling her 'one of the worst attorney generals in our history'
19:16 , Isabel KeaneIllinois Rep. Jesus Garcia accused Bondi of “hiding” from the House Judiciary Committee, before slamming her as one of the “worst attorney generals in our history.”
“I understand why you are hiding from us. You are one of the worst attorney generals in our history, and an instrument of Donald Trump’s lawless authoritarian agenda,” Garcia began.
“I’m glad the American people are seeing who you are, how you act, and the lack of good values,” he added.
Bondi uses question about sanctuary cities to slam Democrats' questioning about Epstein files
19:10 , Isabel KeaneAttorney General Pam Bondi used a question from Republican Rep. Russell Fry about sanctuary cities as an opportunity to slam Democrats for questioning her about the Epstein files.
“So many criminals are running to sanctuary jurisdictions. Many of your colleagues across the aisle, who we’ve seen speaking today about Epstein, don’t want to talk about the illegal criminals in their own jurisdiction,” Bondi said.
“We need to do everything we can to work together to make America safer, and they’re not doing that. They’re deflecting,” she added.
Fry noted that this “is not a partisan issue”
“People want to feel safe in their communities,” he responded.
Vermont Rep. Balint: 'This isn't a game'
19:00 , Isabel KeaneVermont Rep. Becca Balint acknowledged Epstein’s survivors while questioning Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“I want to remind everybody, this isn’t a game. These are real people who have suffered and are sitting here with us today. They deserve answers, and they deserve accountability,” Balint said.
Bondi then refused to answer when asked if the DOJ had looked into various Trump officials with ties to Epstein.
“I think Americans would be shocked to learn that you are not interested in talking with these officials who have ties to Jeffrey Epstein,” Balint said.
Pam Bondi back in shouting mode
18:51 , Alex LangAs Bondi faced questions from North Carolina Democrat Deborah K. Ross the two got into a shouting match, mostly around the incident involving the murder of a Ukrainian migrant on a North Carolina train.
Ross asked about a potential pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell, and that led Bondi to launch into yelling over the killing of Iryna Zarutska.
"It's embarrassing," Bondi said at one point.
Pam Bondi talks about visiting Minnesota...and bashes Sanctuary cities
18:47 , Alex Lang.@AGPamBondi: “I spent four days myself in Minnesota, in Minneapolis. What I will say about some of these sanctuary cities, some of these Democratic cities, law enforcement, they quietly want to work with us. I've spoken to law enforcement in multiple cities, who want to work… pic.twitter.com/Ao5cFMsZp3
— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) February 11, 2026
Pam Bondi boasts about drop in crime rate
18:42 , Alex LangAs she faced Republican questioning, Bondi bragged about the drop in crime rate under Trump, including the drop in the murder rate.
"Least murders in our country since 1900," Bondi said.
Bondi also said everybody in the room knew someone who has been impacted by a fentanyl death. She called for lawmakers to find a common ground to take drugs off the street.
Bondi is now being questioned about Alex Pretti being called an 'assassin'
18:38 , Alex LangDemocrat Lucy McBath is now questioning Bondi about the language used by Trump officials in the wake of Alex Pretti's death.
"They wanted us to ignore the death that we actually saw with our own eyes," McBath said, calling for Bondi to denounce the names Pretti was called.
"What I will say is we are looking at everything to shed light on what happened that day and it is an ongoing and active investigation," Bondi said, "and I will assure you they will be investigated."
An animated Pam Bondi reacts as she speaks during the hearing
18:38 , Alex Lang
Bondi goes back to attacking Neguse
18:34 , Alex LangPam Bondi used moments of the next set of questioning to return to Rep. Joe Neguse and bash him for voting against a measure to prevent violence against 'illegal aliens.'
Though its unclear how the law would have prevented crime.
She then mentioned the firebombing in his community where a jewish group was attacked. Mohamed Soliman was accused in the attack and officials said he was in the county illegally.
Bondi has returned from a break and gets into shouting match
18:27 , Alex LangAttorney General Pam Bondi has returned from break for more questioning and she immediately got into a shouting match.
While Colorado Democrat Joe Neguse asked her about crypto regulation and the hiring of a Jan. 6 rioter by the DOJ, the two started to shout at each other.
“He does work for us, yes. I believe he was pardoned by President Trump,” Bondi says about the hire.
“And you expect hard-working police officers to believe you take law enforcement seriously?” Neguse responded
Congressman accuses Bondi of lying under oath, calls for her resignation
18:23 , Alex LangCongressman Ted Lieu accused Attorney General Pam Bondi of lying under oath Wednesday after she claimed no evidence existed showing that President Donald Trump partied with underage girls.
“Like former Prince Andrew, Donald Trump attended various parties with Jeffrey Epstein,” the California Democrat said. “I want to know were there any underage girls at that party or any party with Jeffrey Epstein?”
Bondi called his question “ridiculous,” replying, “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,” Bondi insisted.Lieu then accused Bondi of lying under oath, to which she replied, “Don’t you ever accuse me of a crime!”
“It’s all on videotape. You said there’s no evidence of a crime, I’m showing you, here is a witness statement who called in to the FBI,” Lieu said.
The congressman then pulled up a document showing a testimony of a witness who allegedly overheard Trump talking to Epstein on the phone about a girl they had raped.“
No one in the Department of Justice interviewed this witness. You need to interview this witness immediately,” Lieu said.Lieu noted that there are over 1,000 sex trafficking victims and that Bondi has not held a single one accountable.
“Shame on you,” he said, while calling for her resignation.
Rep. Massie slams DOJ for redactions
18:18 , Alex LangRep. Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, slammed AG Bondi for over-redacting some information in the Epstein files.
Massie specifically criticized the DOJ for redacting Les Wexner’s information until he asked for his name to be unredacted.
Bondi then accused Massie of having “Trump-derrangement syndrome”
Moment Bondi refuses to recognize victims who raise their hands to say they've been ignored by the DOJ
18:08 , Alex Lang
Hearing breaks for floor votes
17:55 , Isabel KeaneThe Judiciary Committee has paused the hearing so that lawmakers can participate in votes on the House floor.
Bondi and Republican Rep. Massie get into heated exchange
17:36 , Isabel KeaneAttorney General Pam Bondi and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie got into a heated exchange during his time for questioning.
Massie slammed Bondi for releasing victims’ personal information, saying, “Literally the worst thing you could do to survivors, you did.”
He then questioned why more men connected to Epstein’s abuse are not currently under investigation.
Bondi then fired back, accusing Massie of having “Trump-derangement syndrome” and called him a “hypocrite.”
Epstein victims decline to express confidence in attorney general
17:18 , Isabel KeaneDemocratic Rep. Lou Correa, of California, asked survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse attending the hearing to raise their hand if they felt the Department of Justice would support them.
None of the survivors present raised their hand.
“And that’s the issue, Madam AG. You gotta make sure that victims stand up and report the crimes. Otherwise, we’re going to be taking a step backwards,” Correa said.
Bondi commmits to unredacting names of predators in files
17:12 , Isabel KeaneAttorney General Pam Bondi committed to unredacting the names of any predators whose names have been blocked off in the Epstein files.
“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 unredact it,” she said.
Bondi noted that the DOJ only had 30 days to go through millions of pages of documents.
“Our error rate is very low,” Bondi claimed.
“We’re doing everything we can to help the victims,” she added.
'This is so ridiculous' Bondi says after congressman asks if underage girls were at Epstein parties Trump attended
17:06 , Isabel KeaneAttorney General Pam Bondi lashed out after she was asked if any underage girls were present at Epstein parties attended by President Donald Trump.
Congressman Ted Lieu played an video of Trump and Epstein at a party together.
“Like Prince Andrew, Donald Trump attended various parties with Jeffrey Epstein. I want to know, were there any underage girls at that party — or at any party that Trump attended with Jeffrey Epstein?”
In response, Bondi replied, “This is ridiculous.”
“They are trying to deflect from all the great things Donald Trump has done,” Bondi exclaimed.
While Trump’s name appears in the Epstein files, he has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with the case.
Bondi pivots to discussing the Dow to evade questions
16:21 , Isabel KeaneAttorney General Pam Bondi pivoted to discussing the Dow to defend questions about her performance leading the Department of Justice.
“The Dow is over 50,000 right now. The S&P at almost 7,000 and the NASDAQ smashing records. Americans’ 401Ks and retirement savings are booming,” she said.
“That’s what we should be talking about. We should be talking about making Americans safe.”
Bondi has heated exchange after getting asked how many Epstein co-conspirators are being investigated
16:14 , Isabel KeaneRep. Jerry Nadler and Attorney General Pam Bondi got into a heated exchange after the New York Democrat asked how many of Jeffrey Epstein’s co-conspirators she indicted and how many were being investigated.
“How many have you indicted?” Nadler asked. “How many perpetrators are you even investigating?”
Nadler repeated his question and Bondi responded, “Excuse me, I’m going to answer the question.”
“Answer my question,” Nadler replied.
“No, I’m going to answer the question the way I want to answer the question,” Bondi said. “Your theatrics are ridiculous...Chairman Jordan, I’m not going to get into the gutter with these people.”
Bondi and Nadler proceeded to speak over each other before Nadler loudly proclaimed he was reclaiming his time.
Rep. Jamie Raskin then jumped in, “You can filibuster all day long, but not on our watch, not on our time. No way. I told you about that, attorney general, before you started.”
"You don't tell me anything you washed-up loser lawyer — not even a lawyer,” Bondi replied.
Bondi refuses to turn and face survivors while apologizing
15:55 , Isabel KeaneCongresswoman Pramila Jayapal called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to turn to face the survivors and apologize for the “absolutely unacceptable” release of the Epstein files.
Jayapal asked the Epstein survivors at the hearing to raise their hand if they still have not met with Bondi’s Department of Justice — and all of the survivors present raised their hand.
The Washington Democrat then asked Bondi to turn to the survivors to apologize for “what your Department of Justice has put them through with the absolutely unacceptable release of the Epstein files and their information.”
The Congresswoman and attorney general went back and forth on the issue, as the group of survivors stood directly behind Bondi.
Bondi accused Jayapal of “doing theatrics,” and refused to turn to face the survivors and apologize.
“I wish that you would turn around to the survivors who are standing right behind them, and on a human level, apologize to them for what you have done,” Jayapal added as her time was up.
Bondi apologizes to victims for their ordeal by 'monster' Epstein
15:39 , Isabel KeaneAttorney General Pam Bondi apologized to the victims for the pain they’ve suffered at the hands of “that monster,” Jeffrey Epstein.
“I’m a career prosecutor, and despite what the ranking member said, I have spent my entire career fighting for victims, and I will continue to do so,” Bondi said.
“I am deeply sorry for what any victim, any victim, has been through, especially as a result of that monster,” she added.
Bondi noted the DOJ is doing its best to protect victims, but added, “if you brought us a victim’s name that was inadvertently released, we immediately redacted it.”
Raskin criticizes five minute time limit per member
15:31 , Isabel KeaneRep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the committee, criticized the five-minute limit per member as insufficient.
“Please do not waste one second of our precious time by evading questions, by changing the subject, or engaging in personal attacks against members of Congress,” Raskin told Bondi.
Rep. Jamie Raskin introduces Epstein survivors to Pam Bondi
15:25 , Isabel KeaneRep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the committee, kicked off Wednesday’s hearing by introducing Attorney General Pam Bondi to the Epstein survivors present.
“You’ve got the best lawyer’s job in America because your mission is justice, and your clients are the American people. But to promote justice for the people, you’ve got to listen to the victims. Like the women seated behind you today,” Raskin began.
“Those are just some of the hundreds of survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s global sex trafficking ring who are demanding that the truth be told, and are demanding accountability for the abusers who trafficked and raped them.”
Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland, noted that since Bondi still has not met with the survivors, he would introduce them.
“With their permission, let me introduce to you, the survivors and late survivors’ family members who are present today,” Raskin said before listing off names.
Raskin then accused Bondi of running “a massive Epstein coverup, right out of the Department of Justice.”
“You’ve been ordered by subpoena and by Congress to turn over six million documents, photos and videos in the Epstein files, but you’ve turned over only three million,” Raskin added.
Bondi hearing set to begin
15:02 , Isabel KeaneAttorney General Pam Bondi will testify before the House Judiciary Committee starting at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
There are 44 lawmakers on the committee, and each member will receive five minutes to ask questions.
Nancy Mace lands blow on Trump official over Epstein revelation: ‘I wouldn’t have lunch with a pedophile’
14:13 , Isabel KeaneNancy Mace, the Republican firebrand from South Carolina, landed a harsh rebuke on U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick after he admitted having lunch with Jeffrey Epstein on the disgraced financier’s island in 2012.
On Tuesday, Lutnick told the Senate Appropriations Committee, "We had lunch on the island, that is true, for an hour", prompting calls for him to resign from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Speaking in an interview with NewsNation host Katie Pavlich afterwards, Mace said she was glad Lutnick had disclosed the meeting under oath during his Senate testimony this week, but criticized his decision to meet with Epstein after the disgraced financier's 2008 conviction for procuring a child for prostitution.
"It is not criminal, I mean that is the truth, and I’m glad that he told the truth under oath today," she said.
But she added, "As a mom, I wouldn’t sit and have lunch with a convicted pedophile. I don’t think that’s something that I would personally do, but that’s my personal choice."
Massie floats contempt charges for Pam Bondi if she tries to dodge Epstein questions at Congressional hearing
13:39 , Isabel KeaneRep. Thomas Massie suggested holding Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt, a day before she is set to testify before the House Judiciary Committee.
Massie, who co-authored the legislation forcing the release of the files, made the suggestion during an interview Tuesday with CNN’s The Source, according to Mediaite.
“The quickest way, and I think most expeditious way, to get justice for these victims is to bring inherent contempt against Pam Bondi,” he said.
The lawmaker, a Republican from Kentucky, said the option is on the table if Bondi does not own up to the mistakes made — and confirm more files will be released.
“You know, it’s hard to refer to a contempt [charge] or things like that on an attorney general to the attorney general. This is the problem that you run into,” he said. “And so it’s going to be very difficult. But we can compel other people to come testify.”
