Former attorney general Pam Bondi told Congress this week that Todd Blanche, Trump's pick to replace her permanently, ran the Justice Department's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case release. The claim puts Blanche at the center of a controversy that has drawn fire from survivors, lawmakers, and advocates who say the department botched the disclosure.
Bondi testified before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on May 29, which is investigating the late financier and convicted sex offender. When pressed about the department's management of the Epstein files, she drew a clear line: "He was in charge of the process and the entire release of the Epstein files," she said of Blanche, her former deputy at the Justice Department.
The timing is politically sensitive. Blanche has been serving as acting attorney general since Bondi's exit, and Trump announced he plans to nominate him for the job permanently. That nomination will require Senate confirmation.
During her testimony, Bondi walked a careful line. She defended the department's overall work while insisting she had delegated the Epstein files operation to Blanche. "I did not lead every aspect," she told lawmakers. "I delegated oversight over this process" to him. She also said she did not conduct the document review herself.
Yet Bondi acknowledged problems. "There were redaction errors" in the release, she conceded. But she added that the department remained "committed to accountability and transparency" throughout the effort.
Her comments drew quick pushback from Democratic lawmakers, who told reporters during a break that Bondi was trying to shift blame for the mistakes onto Blanche. When reporters relayed their interpretation of her remarks back to her, Bondi fired back on social media, calling the characterization "NOT TRUE" and insisting she had "praised Acting AG Blanche's management of this Herculean task."
The transcript of her testimony, however, shows her making substantially the same statements the Democrats described. In it, she calls Blanche "one of the most highly ethical individuals I know" and says he "managed this investigation, and it was a Herculean task, with very little error."
The Epstein Files Transparency Act required the Justice Department to release records related to the late financier. The rollout has faced scrutiny from survivors, watchdog groups, and lawmakers on both sides who say some redactions were improper and that sensitive personal information about abuse victims was disclosed.
Bondi's testimony also touched on other matters. She said she learned of Ghislaine Maxwell's controversial prison transfer through news reports after it happened and claimed she had nothing to do with it. Maxwell, Epstein's longtime associate, is serving a 20-year sentence for sex-trafficking crimes.
Asked if Maxwell should receive a presidential pardon, Bondi replied flatly: "No." She called Maxwell "a monster" and said, "I believe she should die in prison."
Bondi also said she spoke with at least one attorney representing Epstein victims who contacted the department, though she could not recall the lawyer's name. She said she had referred that attorney to the FBI.
When asked whether she had met with victims or their lawyers personally, or if that was Blanche's responsibility, Bondi said she had spoken directly with one attorney but otherwise deferred.
On the question of Trump's knowledge of Epstein and Maxwell's crimes before they became public, Bondi told lawmakers she was "not certain of the extent" Trump knew. The White House disputed any connection, with spokeswoman Abigail Jackson issuing a statement claiming Trump had been "totally exonerated on anything relating to Epstein."
Bondi declined to discuss private conversations with Trump, saying she would not comment on discussions with the president.
Democrats on the committee are now pushing for Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel to appear and answer their own questions about the Epstein files handling as part of the panel's ongoing investigation.
Author James Rodriguez: "Bondi's testimony reads like a high-wire act where she praises Blanche while simultaneously placing the entire controversial operation squarely in his hands, a move that may prove politically convenient but leaves questions about her own responsibility unanswered."
Comments