The BBC writes that her testimony before the House Judiciary Committee occasionally degenerated into a loud brawl, with Bondi at one point calling a Democrat a “consumed loser”, while after another heated exchange, one lawmaker even left the room.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein files and faced a barrage of questions on other issues during a heated hearing in Congress on Wednesday. The BBC reports that her testimony before the House Judiciary Committee descended into a heated exchange at times, with Bondi at one point calling a Democrat a “consumed loser” and one lawmaker even walking out of the chamber after another heated exchange. Here are some of the highlights of the four-hour hearing:
- EPSTEIN VICTIMS HEAR BOND PROTECTING EDITORS
The hearing followed the Justice Department’s release earlier this year of millions of additional files from its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Several of Epstein’s victims were in attendance, and both lawmakers and Bondi frequently referred to them. In his opening statement, Bondi called Epstein a “monster” and apologized to the victims for the abuse they suffered. But lawmakers sharply criticized the department’s handling of the release of the files, saying the names of the victims were not adequately protected.
Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat, said that in some cases “nude images” of survivors had been released, some of whom had had their identities protected “for decades.” Jayapal asked the victims in the room to stand if they had not had a chance to meet with the Justice Department, and they all did. She asked Bondi to apologize for handling the redactions, but Bondi responded by calling the question “theatrical” and adding, “I’m not going to get into trouble with this woman.”
- REPUBLICANS UNITE IN CRITICISM OF EPSTEIN FILES
The hearing was also tense over names being redacted from the files. A bipartisan group of lawmakers accused the department of unfairly removing names of people who were not protected. After reviewing the unedited versions, the department has restored some names to the documents. Republican Thomas Massie asked Bondi who was responsible for the redactions and whether anyone would be held accountable for the “failure.” He said the issue was “bigger than Watergate.” Bondi called it a “political joke.” FBI Director Kash Patel said there was no evidence that Epstein trafficked women to billionaire Les Wexner.
- LEGISLATURE RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT ANDREW MOUNTBATTEN-WINDSOR
Democrat Ted Lieu mentioned Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who is facing pressure to testify in the US. The former Prince Andrew has denied any wrongdoing and in 2022 reached an out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre without admitting responsibility. Lieu showed a photo from the Epstein files showing Andrew in a compromising position, but without clear context. He asked why those photos were not used for prosecution. Bondi replied that questions should be directed to former Attorney General Merrick Garland.
- DEMOCRATS DEMAND INVESTIGATION FOR MINNEAPOLIS
In addition to the Epstein files, Bondi was also questioned about the shooting deaths of two people in Minneapolis by federal agents that sparked national protests. Democrat Steve Cohen called the incident an “execution” and said the department failed to properly investigate. Bondi defended the federal government’s actions, saying the protesters and agents were incited by politicians who obstructed law enforcement. Other Republicans supported him, including committee chairman Jim Jordan, who praised Trump’s enforcement of illegal immigration policies.