Former Attorney General Pam Bondi, appearing before the House Oversight and Reform Committee in a closed-door deposition on May 29, told lawmakers that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche — whom President Donald Trump plans to nominate for the permanent role — oversaw the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. According to a transcript of the session released by the committee on Thursday, Bondi said Blanche “was in charge of the process and the entire release of the Epstein files.”
Bondi, who served as attorney general until Trump replaced her in early April, testified that she delegated oversight of the document review to Blanche. “I did not conduct that document review myself,” she said in her opening statement, according to the transcript. She acknowledged that “there were redaction errors” in the release but insisted that “since day one of this process, this department has been committed to accountability and transparency.”
On the question of Trump’s prior knowledge of Epstein’s crimes, Bondi told the panel she was “not certain of the extent” the president knew before the allegations became public. She declined to discuss any conversations she had with Trump, saying she would not comment on discussions with the president. When asked whether any victims or victim attorneys had contacted the department, Bondi said multiple victims had reached out, but said she had spoken directly with only one attorney.
Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, said in a statement Thursday that Trump had been “totally exonerated on anything relating to Epstein.”
Bondi also addressed the situation of Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex-trafficking crimes in connection with Epstein. Asked whether Maxwell should receive a pardon, Bondi replied “no” and called her a “monster.” “I believe she should die in prison,” Bondi said. Bondi said she learned of Maxwell’s controversial prison transfer “after it happened” through news reports and added, “I had nothing to do with that.”
During a break in the deposition, several Democratic lawmakers told reporters that Bondi had indicated it was Blanche who was leading the Epstein investigation and that mistakes in redactions and the disclosure of sensitive information should be attributed to his oversight. Afterward, Bondi pushed back on that characterization in a social media post, calling it “NOT TRUE,” and said she had “praised Acting AG Blanche’s management of this Herculean task.”
Inside the deposition transcript, Bondi denied that she was “blaming anything on Todd” and described Blanche as “one of the most highly ethical individuals I know.” She said he managed the investigation “with very little error.”
The hearing was part of an ongoing investigation by the House committee into the Justice Department’s compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which mandated the release of Epstein-related records held by the department. Lawmakers from both parties, as well as survivors of Epstein’s abuse, have raised concerns over the handling of the documents, including redactions that inadvertently disclosed the identities of some victims.
Blanche, who served as Bondi’s deputy, was appointed acting attorney general after Bondi’s ouster. Trump said this week he intends to nominate Blanche for the permanent role, which would require Senate confirmation.