House Panel Subpoenas Attorney General Pam Bondi Over Epstein Files

The House Oversight Committee voted on March 4 to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi as part of the ongoing congressional investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The 24-19 vote saw five Republicans join Democrats to force Bondi's testimony, reflecting bipartisan frustration with the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein files.

Republican Representative Nancy Mace, who introduced the motion, stated: "The American people want answers on the Epstein files, and so do we." Mace and fellow Republicans Tim Burchett, Lauren Boebert, Michael Cloud, and Scott Perry crossed party lines to support the subpoena.

The move follows increasing criticism of the Justice Department's release of documents related to Epstein, including accidentally revealing victims' names while redacting information about alleged perpetrators without explanation. Lawmakers have accused the department of a "cover-up," with Mace claiming that "videos are missing. Audio is missing. Logs are missing."

The subpoena comes after a contentious February hearing where Bondi clashed with Democrats, at one point calling Representative Jamie Raskin a "washed-up loser lawyer." Bondi largely avoided addressing questions about the Epstein files, instead praising President Trump's economic record.

The investigation has already led to testimony from former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, who appeared before the committee last week. Although neither has been accused of wrongdoing by Epstein's victims, Bill Clinton appears in investigative files related to the sex offender.

Democratic Representative Ro Khanna emphasised the importance of bipartisan cooperation, stating: "We can hold the Epstein class accountable if we are willing to cross the aisle and build a coalition of accountability." The Justice Department has not yet responded to requests for comment on the subpoena.