Former Attorney General Pam Bondi has testified about the flawed release of Jeffrey Epstein files. She pointed instead to her former deputy, Todd Blanche, who now faces a potential subpoena battle.
The closed-door testimony on Friday is an escalation in the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into how the Justice Department handled the long-awaited document release. Millions of pages were made public earlier this year under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. However, the rollout got criticized after victims’ identities were inadvertently exposed while information about alleged perpetrators remained hidden.
Pam Bondi testifies in court over Epstein files
Pam Bondi appeared before the committee for a transcribed interview and used her opening statement to distance herself from the operational failures. “There were redaction errors,” she acknowledged, according to her prepared remarks obtained by Politico. “But since day one of this process, this Department has been committed to accountability and transparency.”
The former attorney general then made clear who she believed should answer for the mistakes. “I did not lead every aspect of this effort or conduct that document review myself,” Bondi said. “I delegated oversight over this process to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.”
That statement immediately put Blanche, now the acting attorney general, at the centre of the controversy. Representative Robert Garcia, the committee’s top Democrat, told reporters he wants Chairman James Comer to summon Blanche without delay. “If he doesn’t do it, we’re going to force a subpoena and try to get votes — but he’s got to come in,” Garcia said. He added that FBI Director Kash Patel is “number two on the list.”
The political stakes are high for both men. Blanche has not yet been nominated to serve as attorney general permanently, leaving his future as DOJ uncertain. Patel already faces calls to resign over allegations of erratic behaviour and misuse of taxpayer funds.
