Attorney General Bondi Clashes with House Judiciary Committee in Contentious Hearing

Attorney General Pam Bondi faced a barrage of questions and accusations during a heated House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing Wednesday, her first appearance before the committee since her confirmation last year. The session quickly devolved into chaotic exchanges as Bondi defended the Justice Department’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein-related files and rejected claims of departmental “weaponization.”

Throughout the nearly three-hour session, committee members from both parties engaged in fierce exchanges with Bondi, who responded with equal intensity, creating multiple moments where Chairman Jim Jordan struggled to maintain order.

The confrontation with Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) marked one of the session’s most explosive moments. Lieu directly accused Bondi of lying under oath regarding witness statements allegedly linking President Donald Trump to serious accusations. “You just lied under oath,” Lieu declared.

Bondi responded forcefully, “Don’t you ever accuse me of a crime!” The exchange spiraled into disorder as Jordan attempted to restore proceedings. Bondi dismissed the allegations, stating, “This is so ridiculous. And they are trying to deflect from all the great things Donald Trump has done. There is no evidence that Donald Trump has committed a crime; everyone knows that!”

Another tense confrontation involved Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who demanded Bondi turn around and apologize to Epstein survivors seated in the gallery behind her. Jayapal accused the Justice Department of causing additional trauma to victims by failing to properly redact their names in recently released documents.

“Will you turn to the survivors and apologize?” Jayapal pressed, emphasizing that Bondi should take responsibility for the department’s actions under her leadership.

Bondi refused to comply, attempting to reference actions by the previous administration before being interrupted. “I’m not going to get in the gutter for her theatrics,” Bondi responded, later muttering “unprofessional” as the exchange concluded.

Perhaps surprisingly, criticism also came from Republican members, particularly regarding the department’s handling of Epstein-related documents. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) criticized what he described as inconsistent redaction standards, suggesting the department was “over-redacting” potentially incriminating information while failing to protect victims’ identities.

“This cover-up spans decades, and you are responsible for this portion of it,” Massie told Bondi, who responded by calling him a “failed politician” suffering from “Trump derangement syndrome.”

In a significant revelation during questioning by Chairman Jordan, Bondi confirmed receiving a criminal referral from the House Judiciary Committee alleging that former CIA Director John Brennan had lied to Congress.

“What I can confirm is that we have received a referral from you, Chairman Jordan, to investigate John Brennan,” Bondi stated, though she declined to confirm whether an investigation was underway. “What I will say is that no one is above the law. Weaponization has ended.”

This disclosure comes amid ongoing Justice Department investigations into the origins of the 2016 Russia investigation, which Democrats have consistently characterized as politically motivated.

Representative Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) directly challenged Bondi on the department’s prosecution record regarding Epstein’s associates. “How many of Epstein’s co-conspirators have you indicted? How many perpetrators are you even investigating?” Nadler asked.

Rather than providing specific numbers, Bondi pivoted to criticism of past impeachment proceedings and emphasized the department’s commitment to investigating credible evidence. Nadler interrupted sharply: “The answer is zero.”

The contentious hearing highlighted the deep political divisions surrounding the Justice Department’s operations and priorities under Bondi’s leadership. While Republicans largely supported her efforts to investigate what they view as past abuses of power, Democrats criticized what they characterized as partisan enforcement priorities and inadequate victim protection in high-profile cases.

The hearing also underscored the continuing sensitivity surrounding the Epstein case, with survivors present in the hearing room as lawmakers and the Attorney General debated the handling of related documents and investigations.