Good afternoon from Capitol Hill. (Excuse the beginning of the video it is a little blurry). The Pam Bondi hearing has just recessed, and I am reporting live from the center of it. Over the past several hours I have been speaking directly with Epstein survivors, members of Congress, and reporters as new and significant details about the handling of the Epstein files continue to emerge. If you value independent, on the ground reporting like this, subscribe to support my work.
I also got some major information about information redacted by the Justice Department in the Epstein files. I am working with lawyers right now to see what I am able to release publicly.
This morning, Pam Bondi refused to apologize to Jeffrey Epstein’s survivors after their private information was publicly revealed, setting the tone for a tense and combative hearing on Capitol Hill.
The day began with a press conference led by Epstein survivors, several of whom later sat behind Bondi during the hearing. One survivor sharply criticized the Justice Department’s handling of sensitive materials, saying, “We’ve watched the Trump administration botch redactions so badly that victims’ images were exposed while predators’ identities were kept hidden or redacted. That does not feel like an accident.”
When the hearing opened, Congressman Jamie Raskin stressed that justice requires listening to victims. He criticized the failure to meaningfully hear from the many survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s global sex trafficking ring, including the women seated directly behind Bondi.
Representative Thomas Massie escalated the confrontation. He argued that accountability could come under a future attorney general who might pursue charges for alleged legal violations. He suggested that the production of three million documents was compelled by legal pressure and dismissed claims of incompetence as a defense for withholding additional materials.
Massie also referenced an email from victims’ lawyers to the Department of Justice that contained a list of names not to release. According to him, the DOJ released that very email. “Literally the worst thing you could do to the survivors, you did,” he said.
Representative Ted Lieu then played a widely circulated video clip showing Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein socializing at a party. Lieu asked Bondi whether underage girls were present at any gathering the two attended together. Bondi dismissed the line of questioning. “This is so ridiculous,” she said. “There is no evidence that Donald Trump has committed a crime.” Lieu responded bluntly, “I believe you just lied under oath.”
As the questioning intensified, Bondi pivoted sharply away from Epstein and the survivors. She began touting stock market gains. “The Dow is over 50,000 dollars,” she said. “The S and P at almost 7,000, and the Nasdaq smashing records. That’s what we should be talking about.” The remark drew laughter from Democrats in the room.
Throughout the hearing, Bondi had three large binders in front of her. Observers noted that one binder appeared to be organized with tabs labeled with Democratic names. Journalist Pablo Manríquez reported that several women seated behind Bondi held nearly identical white binders and passed her notes during questioning, seemingly directing her to specific pages.
Democrats laughed when Bondi attempted to deflect questions about survivors by praising the stock market. Representative Lance Gooden was criticized for implying that Epstein survivors should focus their attention on Democrats. Bondi clashed with Representative Zoe Lofgren, who maintained a calm and professional demeanor while questioning her about the Epstein files. When Bondi made personal attacks, Lofgren responded, “I think it’s pathetic.”
Many House Republicans focused their remarks on former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama. Representative Tom Tiffany drew criticism for raising unrelated allegations about fraud in Minnesota, which appeared to bore the room.
By the end of the first session, the central issue remained unresolved. Survivors and their advocates continued to demand accountability and greater care in handling sensitive information. Bondi, however, showed no indication that she would apologize for the public disclosure of survivors’ information, leaving tensions high and questions unanswered.