WASHINGTON, United States – Congressional Democrats launched scathing accusations against Attorney General Pam Bondi during a heated House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, alleging a systematic cover-up of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents and the transformation of the Justice Department into President Donald Trump’s personal instrument of retaliation.
The hearing, attended by several of Epstein’s victims, witnessed intense exchanges as Democratic representatives condemned the handling of evidence related to the convicted sex offender. Representative Jamie Raskin, the committee’s ranking Democrat, spearheaded the criticism, asserting that the Justice Department had deliberately suppressed millions of documents despite congressional mandates.
“You’re orchestrating a massive Epstein cover-up directly from the Department of Justice,” Raskin declared. “Despite subpoenas and congressional orders demanding six million documents, photographs, and videos, you’ve produced merely half that amount.”
The Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA), passed with overwhelming congressional support in November, legally compelled the Justice Department to release all Epstein-related documents within 30 days. The legislation specifically required redaction only for victims’ identities—numbering over 1,000 according to FBI estimates—while explicitly prohibiting the shielding of powerful associates, including politicians and business magnates, based on embarrassment or political sensitivity.
Raskin countered Bondi’s claims of compliance, stating that numerous names of “abusers, enablers, accomplices and co-conspirators” had been improperly redacted, apparently to protect them from public scrutiny. He further alleged that the department had simultaneously failed to adequately protect victims’ identities.
Attorney General Bondi, a staunch Trump ally, defended the department’s efforts, noting that hundreds of attorneys and reviewers had dedicated thousands of hours to document examination. “We’ve released over three million pages, including 180,000 images, to the public while striving to protect victims within the legislative timeframe,” she testified.
Beyond the Epstein controversy, Democrats condemned what they characterized as politically motivated prosecutions against Trump’s opponents, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Raskin accused Bondi of transforming “the people’s Department of Justice into Trump’s instrument of revenge,” suggesting the department responded to presidential directives like “ordering pizza.”
The context of these allegations traces back to Epstein’s death in his New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking minors—a death ruled suicide. His associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, remains the only individual imprisoned in connection with Epstein’s crimes, serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking underage girls.
Trump’s prolonged resistance to document release regarding Epstein—a former longtime friend—ultimately succumbed to Republican pressure, leading to his endorsement of the transparency law. This legislative move reflected growing public demand for accountability regarding suspected protections for powerful figures within Epstein’s network.