Oversight panel releases transcript of Bondi interview about Epstein files

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The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Thursday released the transcript from its closed-door meeting with former Attorney General Pam Bondi, which shows her declining to answer a number of questions and pointing the finger at acting Attorney General Todd Blanche over the handling of the Epstein files.

The roughly four-hour meeting produced just a 111-page transcript. Although she was subpoenaed to be deposed, after an arrangement made with committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.), she instead sat for a transcribed interview, which was not video recorded.

During the interview, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who in an unusual move accompanied Bondi to the interview, repeatedly cut off questions posed to Bondi about any discussions she had with the White House, with Dhillon arguing that matter was covered by executive privilege.

“I’m not going to answer any questions — any conversations that I have had with the president of the United States, whether we had them or didn’t have them, or the substance,” Bondi said at one point when asked a question about discussions with President Trump.

She would also not answer questions about any alleged Epstein co-conspirator.

She also repeatedly noted that Blanche had been tapped to lead many of the decisions surrounding the Epstein files.

Democrats had previously noted that Bondi invoked Blanche at least 30 times during the discussion.

Whether investigative leads provided by victims of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were followed was a question for Blanche, she said, as were discussions about redaction guidance and the decision to put out a memo saying Epstein had no client list.

“You’d have to ask Deputy Attorney General, now-Acting Attorney General Blanche and Director Patel,” Bondi said at one point.

“AG Blanche was managing the entire investigation,” she said at another.

But upon hearing Democrats had highlighted that to reporters outside the room, Bondi took offense.

“That is 100 percent incorrect. Todd Blanche is one of the most highly ethical individuals I know, and I think he is making an incredible Acting Attorney General. And he managed this investigation — and it was a Herculean task — with very little error. And Todd did an excellent job, in my opinion, and is doing an excellent job as our Attorney General. I’m not blaming anything on Todd,” she said.

During the interview, Bondi said she was not sure the extent President Trump was aware of Epstein’s crimes and also said she did not believe his close associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, should be pardoned.

She also said the Justice Department was unaware when it penned a July memo last year saying Epstein didn’t kill himself and that no further release of files would be warranted that they were sitting on such a large tranche of files about the sex offender.

“Clearly, they did not know there were 3 million-plus — approximately 3 million [point] 2 pages of documents at that time,” she said.

Bondi said she did not have insight into why certain materials were taken down and then put back online, nor did she have any more information about the claims of a woman who said Trump violently attacked her when she was a minor. Reports have found some documents relating to the woman’s interview with the FBI have still not been posted.

The transcript showed numerous tense moments as Dhillon and another Justice Department attorney clashed with Democratic questioners.

Those exchanges highlight the difference between a formal deposition and a transcribed interview, with Dhillon noting they faced no obligation to assert a formal privilege such as the Fifth Amendment.

“We don’t even need to formally assert the privilege in this context given the voluntary nature of these proceedings. So we’re just going to refuse to provide answers about conversations with the President or his advisers,” she said.

At one point she accused a Democratic interviewer of being “determined to eat up all of your time” by asking questions about the blanket refusal to answer any questions about Trump.

Dhillon also said Bondi should not have to answer any questions that weren’t about her time as attorney general, cutting off discussions about the campaign and prior investigations into Epstein that loomed over the Justice Department under her tenure.

At one point Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) asked her whether her voluntary appearance did in fact comply with the initial subpoena, a move first pushed by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), that compelled a deposition.

“For the record, in your opinion, the sit-down is not to comply with that subpoena, but it’s a voluntary interview having nothing to do with the subpoena issued by the committee?” he said.

Dhillon later cut off that line of questioning as well.

Updated at 7:12 p.m. EDT

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Ghislaine Maxwell

James Comer

Jeffrey Epstein

Maxwell Frost

Nancy Mace

Pam Bondi

Todd Blanche

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