House Oversight Democrats Storm Out of Epstein Briefing With Pam Bondi

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee walked out of a briefing with Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday, saying that her answers about the release of files related to the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein showed ”complete disrespect” for the panel.

Bondi reported to Capitol Hill alongside Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche for a closed-door meeting with lawmakers less than 24 hours after Oversight Committee Chair James Comer subpoenaed her. Bondi has been accused by Democrats and several Republicans of slow-walking the release of the Justice Department’s files on Epstein.

Ranking member Rep. Robert Garcia told reporters that Bondi did not testify under oath, which Democrats took issue with.

“The American public should be outraged by what is happening right now,” Garcia said. He added that Bondi refused “on multiple occasions” to agree to testify for a transcribed interview under oath that could later be made available to the public.

“We won’t participate in a fake hearing that’s not under oath and not transcribed,” Garcia posted to X. “The American people deserve transparency and the truth. We are going to end this White House Cover-Up.”

Virginia Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat, said in a video posted to X after the briefing that Bondi’s appearance before the committee on Wednesday was unofficial at best.

“It was a ‘briefing’ so we weren’t allowed to follow the rules of the committee. So, long story short, she is trying to skirt answering questions, she does not want to be under oath when she’s talking about Epstein.”

“I don’t blame her because she is probably lying and she’ll probably be perjuring herself,” Subramanyam added. “But in any case we are going to continue trying to get her to testify … under oath.”

“We’ll see her at her sworn deposition,” Rep. Maxwell Frost said in a separate post.

Oversight Committee Republicans accused Democrats of another act of political theater.

“Democrats just walked out of our briefing with AG Pam Bondi. This clearly was their plan all along,” the GOP conference posted to X. “AG Bondi and Deputy AG Blanche were answering substantive questions.”

“The Attorney General said she’d follow the law,” the post continued. “Democrats don’t want answers or justice for survivors. They just want content for their political theater.”

“If this was truly about the victims, my Democrat colleagues would have stuck around and continued to ask questions,” Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert posted to X. “Sadly, they consider this an opportunity for press, not for justice. Totally pathetic.”

Speaking to CNN after the briefing, Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury said, “It was clear they were not prepared to answer questions about compliance with the law.”

“After Chairman Comer insulted Summer Lee … and basically was extraordinarily disrespectful towards her, the Democrats walked out of the room because we are not going to play those games.”

In a press release Wednesday night, Garcia said Comer accused Pennsylvania Rep. Summer Lee of “bitching” in response to her questions about what the committee would do if Bondi lied, considering she was not under oath nor on the record.

Lee, a member of the Oversight Committee, had filed articles of impeachment against Bondi on Tuesday, accusing Bondi of “breaking the law to protect pedophiles.”

“The attorney general of the United States is entrusted with one of the most solemn responsibilities in our democracy: to enforce the law fairly, impartially and without political influence,” Lee said in a statement. “Instead, Pam Bondi is breaking the law to protect pedophiles and prosecute Trump’s political opponents.”