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WASHINGTON — Attorney General Pam Bondi’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee erupted into a five-hour political brawl Wednesday, featuring shouting matches, personal insults, and a stunning refusal to apologize to Jeffrey Epstein survivors whose names her department failed to redact.
The hearing, ostensibly about Justice Department oversight, quickly devolved into a spectacle of partisan warfare as Bondi sparred with Democrats over the Epstein files, while simultaneously taking fire from a Republican who co-authored the law forcing their release.
‘I’m Not Getting in the Gutter’
The most heated exchange came when Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) asked Epstein survivors in the hearing room to stand if they had not yet met with DOJ officials. Every woman raised her hand. Jayapal then demanded Bondi turn around and apologize to them personally for the department’s failure to protect their identities in released documents.
Bondi refused.
“Why didn’t she ask Merrick Garland this twice when he sat in my chair?” Bondi shot back, pivoting to attacks on the Biden administration. “I’m not going to get in the gutter for her theatrics.”
When Jayapal pressed further, calling the DOJ’s handling a “massive cover-up,” Bondi labeled her “unprofessional.”
The survivors, including Dani Bensky and Sky Roberts — brother of Virginia Giuffre — had earlier held a press conference demanding the DOJ “do its job” and release all files. “Nothing short of a failure,” Roberts called Bondi’s performance.
Bondi’s Insult Arsenal
The Attorney General came prepared with opposition research and a hair-trigger for personal attacks. She called Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the committee’s ranking Democrat and former constitutional law professor, a “washed-up loser lawyer.” She accused Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), a 20-year congressional veteran, of lacking experience. When Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) questioned her about redaction failures, she snapped: “This guy has Trump derangement syndrome… You’re a failed politician.”
Massie, who co-wrote the Epstein Files Transparency Act, later told reporters her responses were “kind of crazy.”
“She came here just ready to talk about the Dow Jones and the NASDAQ,” Massie said. “She didn’t answer anything.”
The Kentucky Republican has been targeted by Trump for a primary challenge, making Bondi’s attack particularly pointed.
The Antisemitism Ambush
Bondi’s most explosive tactic came against Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.), whose grandfather was killed in the Holocaust. After Balint pressed her on Epstein, Bondi pivoted to attack her for voting against a resolution condemning the phrase “from the river to the sea” as antisemitic.
“Do you want to go there, attorney general?” Balint shouted. “Are you serious? Talking about antisemitism to a woman who lost her grandfather in the Holocaust.”
Balint stormed out but later returned.
Republican Dissent and Maxwell’s Fate
Even some Republicans broke ranks. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) pressed Bondi on why survivors’ names weren’t redacted while other information was over-redacted. Bondi blamed rushed lawyers facing a December 19 deadline.
On Ghislaine Maxwell — moved to a lower-security Texas prison camp after cooperating with DOJ interviews — Bondi offered no clemency mercy: “Hopefully she dies in prison.” This came as President Trump has left open the possibility of pardoning Maxwell, who has offered to “clear his name” in exchange.
The 50,000 Foot View
Bondi’s combative performance appeared designed for an audience of one: President Trump. She called him “the greatest president in American history” and parried every Epstein question with whataboutism about Democrats or Garland.
Yet NBC News reported Trump has privately complained to aides that Bondi is “weak” and insufficiently aggressive pursuing his enemies — criticism that prompted a White House statement of support only after the Journal story broke.
For Epstein survivors seeking justice, the hearing delivered theater but no answers. For Bondi, it was political performance art. And for the DOJ’s credibility, it was another erosion of the line between law enforcement and partisan warfare.
Key Quote:“I’ll be satisfied when those victims are satisfied… until then, I’m going to work my butt off trying to get the DOJ to comply with this law.” — Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.)
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