Pam Bondi, the former attorney general, acknowledged 'redaction errors' in the release of Jeffrey Epstein files but defended the Department of Justice's handling during a House oversight committee hearing on Friday. Bondi stated she did not 'lead every aspect' of the effort, delegating oversight to Todd Blanche, her former deputy who is now acting attorney general.
In her prepared opening statement, Bondi said the department demonstrated 'an unprecedented commitment to transparency' in searching for, collecting, and reviewing the Epstein files. She claimed that to her knowledge, the department produced everything required under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, though the deadline was missed.
Democratic lawmakers criticized Bondi's refusal to answer questions about Donald Trump's involvement. Representative Robert Garcia said Bondi declined to respond to five questions about conversations with Trump regarding the files. Garcia also noted Bondi attributed mistakes to Blanche.
Bondi later pushed back on social media, calling Garcia's claim 'NOT TRUE' and stating she praised Blanche's management of the 'Herculean task.' The hearing continues as lawmakers seek to determine if more documents can be legally released.
