Former attorney general Pam Bondi has refused to comply with a subpoena and will not appear at a hearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform next week, where lawmakers had planned to question her about how the Justice Department handled materials related to the Epstein case.
The move is likely to deepen frustration among lawmakers in both parties, who have spent months trying to clarify how the Epstein files were handled and regard Bondi’s testimony as central to getting answers. Earlier—after stepping down at the beginning of the month—she told reporters she would “follow the law” in response to the committee’s subpoena.
The committee itself said Bondi will not appear for questioning on April 14 because she “no longer serves as attorney general and was subpoenaed in that capacity.” A committee spokesperson added that lawmakers now plan to contact her personal attorney “to discuss next steps.”
The subpoena was approved on a bipartisan basis last month, while Bondi was still in office. It was introduced by Republican Nancy Mace and backed by all Democrats, along with several Republicans—Tim Burchett, Michael Cloud, Lauren Boebert, and Scott Perry.
On the eve of that development, Democrats on the committee pointedly walked out of a closed-door briefing involving Bondi, saying she had dodged key questions and showed no willingness to testify under oath.
The situation escalated after the committee’s top Democrat, Robert Garcia, accused Bondi of trying to “evade her legal obligation to testify” and threatened to pursue contempt of Congress proceedings. That would require the support of at least three Republicans, followed by a vote of the full House of Representatives. Committee chairman James Comer had earlier said the possibility of such a step “would be discussed.”
At the same time, Mace stressed that Bondi “will still have to appear before the committee to provide sworn testimony.”
Epstein case survivors Maria and Annie Farmer said in a statement that the Justice Department’s “improper handling of the Epstein files has not only eroded survivors’ trust, but also left critical questions unanswered.” They added: “Until Bondi is questioned and her testimony is given under oath, we will continue to press Congress to use every available tool to secure justice.”