Former Attorney General Pam Bondi Won't Testify on Epstein Files

Former Attorney General Pam Bondi won't testify on the Epstein-related files on April 14, according to the Justice Department (DOJ).

The Details: The DOJ said Bondi wouldn't appear before court because she's no longer US attorney general and was subpoenaed in her official role, not in a personal capacity. House Oversight Committee member Nancy Mace argued the subpoena still requires Bondi to appear before court. She and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) wrote a letter to Rep. James Comer, chairman of the committee, urging him to "publicly reaffirm [her] legal obligation to testify." The committee hasn't withdrawn the subpoena, so Bondi could still face deposition. 

For Context: Bondi was removed from the attorney general position on April 2. She is the second of Trump's cabinet members fired in recent months. In March, five Republicans–including Mace–voted 24-19 with Democrat members to subpoena Bondi as part of the House committee's investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. Bondi and the DOJ faced bipartisan criticism for the DOJ's handling of the Epstein files, including accusations that it failed to obscure some information about Epstein's victims and that it allegedly protected the identities of non-victims in the files.

How the Media Covered It: Outlets across the spectrum were critical of the announcement and highlighted committee efforts to press Bondi to testify. Outlets like Fox News (Right bias), The National Desk (Right) and Al Jazeera (Lean Left) specifically mentioned Democrat criticism of Bondi no longer testifying. Just the News (Lean Right) and Washington Post (Lean Left) highlighted Republican criticism. The Post said the decision "presented the latest obstacle to Congress's efforts to press the Trump administration" about their law requiring the release of Epstein files. Newsweek (Center) emphasized the impact on Epstein victims and quoted a survivors' coalition who said Bondi "has answers that survivors need and deserve."

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