Bondi won't testify next week in House Epstein probe; lawmakers push to reschedule - BERITAJA

The Justice Department has told the House Oversight Committee that now-former Attorney General Pam Bondi will not look earlier the committee adjacent week to reply questions about the department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case.

“The Department of Justice has stated Pam Bondi will not look connected April 14 for a deposition since she is nary longer Attorney General and was subpoenaed successful her capacity arsenic Attorney General,” a spokeswoman for the House sheet said successful a connection Wednesday. “The Committee will interaction Pam Bondi’s individual counsel to talk adjacent steps regarding scheduling her deposition.”

In a missive to Oversight Chair James Comer obtained by Beritaja, Patrick Davis, the Justice Department's adjunct lawyer wide for the Office of Legislative Affairs, wrote "because Ms. Bondi nary longer could attest successful her charismatic capacity arsenic Attorney General, the Department’s position is that the lawsuit nary longer obligates her to look connected April 14. We kindly inquire that you corroborate that the lawsuit is withdrawn."

A Justice Department spokesperson said the lawsuit was sent to Bondi “in her charismatic capacity arsenic Attorney General. Because of the activity modulation astatine the Department, the lawsuit nary longer applies.”

A spokesperson for Comer, R-Ky., did not respond to a petition for comment, but the panel's connection said it still plans to telephone Bondi.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., blasted the postponement. "The cover-up continues, but we will conflict for accountability," he wrote connected X.

The apical Democrat connected the panel, Rep. Robert Garcia of California, said, "Our bipartisan lawsuit is to Pam Bondi, whether she is the Attorney General aliases not. She must travel successful to attest immediately, and if she defies the subpoena, we will statesman contempt charges successful the Congress. The survivors merit justice.”

Asked astatine news convention Tuesday if he would activity to artifact aliases hold Bondi’s deposition, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said, “I will time off it to Chairman Comer to activity retired pinch others. I conscionable don’t person an reply for you.”

The president announced Bondi’s removal last week, and she said successful a station connected X that she would beryllium staying astatine DOJ for a period to thief Blanche’s transition. She was nether unit to bring cases against Trump’s governmental enemies, but Blanche said Tuesday that nary 1 had “any thought why the lawyer wide is nary longer the lawyer wide and I’m the acting lawyer general, isolated from for President Trump.”

Bondi’s existent title astatine the section is unclear.

Five Republicans connected the committee voted pinch Democrats to lawsuit Bondi for the deposition and reply questions nether oath about really the agency has handled its investigation into the precocious activity offender and the merchandise of accusation related to that probe.

Among the topics the committee wants to inquire her about is simply a arguable memo from past July wherever the section announced nary different group would beryllium charged successful the probe and that it wouldn't beryllium releasing immoderate much accusation about the case. Lawmakers besides want to inquire her about the department's consequent nonaccomplishment to grant a lawsuit to move each the files complete to the committee.

That nonaccomplishment helped lead to the transition of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a measure co-authored by Khanna and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., that required the section to merchandise the files publicly. Lawmakers and victims of Epstein's person complained that DOJ is still improperly withholding immoderate files since the transition of the enactment and failing to protect victims' identities arsenic required by the rule while redacting accusation about imaginable Epstein accomplices.

The committee's connection Tuesday that Bondi would not attest came retired soon aft sheet members Khanna and Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., made nationalist a missive they sent to Comer asking him to reaffirm that Bondi would still look for her deposition adjacent week.

Mace, the lawmaker who first moved to lawsuit Bondi, said successful a post connected X that "Bondi cannot flight accountability simply because she nary longer holds the agency of Attorney General," and "will still person to look earlier the Oversight Committee for a sworn deposition."

"The American group merit answers, and we expect her to look arsenic soon arsenic a caller day is set," Mace wrote.

Sky and Amanda Roberts, family members of precocious Epstein unfortunate Virginia Giuffre, indicated successful a connection they were unhappy about the delay, but consenting to wait.

“Once again, the Department of Justice is splitting hairs. Regardless of really you trim it, erstwhile Attorney General Pam Bondi has been subpoenaed and must attest earlier the House subcommittee. Survivors are opinionated by. We are not going anywhere,” they said.