Pam Bondi Scheduled to Testify in House Oversight Jeffrey Epstein Probe Following Contempt Threat

Former Attorney General Pam Bondi is scheduled to testify next month before the House Oversight Committee as part of an ongoing investigation into the Justice Department's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case files. The appearance, now confirmed for May 29, follows a period of intense procedural battling between the committee and the Trump administration.

The committee initially issued a subpoena for Bondi during her tenure as Attorney General, amid concerns that the Justice Department had failed to release the full extent of the "Epstein files" as required by law. However, after Bondi was ousted from her position on April 2, the Department of Justice argued she was no longer obligated to appear in an official capacity, leading to the cancellation of a previously scheduled April 14 deposition.

In a significant shift, Bondi will now sit for a transcribed interview rather than an under-oath deposition. While she will not be formally sworn in, officials noted she will be reminded that providing false statements to Congress remains a criminal offense. This compromise follows a contentious voluntary meeting on Capitol Hill earlier this year, attended by then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, which ended abruptly when Democratic lawmakers walked out in protest.

The confirmation of the May 29 date arrived shortly after Democrats on the committee, led by Representative Robert Garcia, announced they had filed civil contempt charges against Bondi for her previous failure to appear. Garcia characterized the new date as a victory for the committee’s oversight efforts, while Chairman James Comer (R-KY) dismissed the move as "drama," asserting that Republicans had been working to confirm the date as quickly as possible.

The investigation centers on the transparency of millions of pages of records related to Epstein. To date, the Justice Department has released approximately 3 million pages—roughly 50% of the total files—withholding others due to privacy concerns and active investigations. Republicans on the panel have criticized the recent contempt push as "theater," comparing the timeline to the months required to secure testimonies from Bill and Hillary Clinton earlier in the probe.

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