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Former Attorney General Bondi Testifies Acting Attorney General Oversaw Epstein File Release

2026-06-05

The BareStory

A transcript released Thursday details former Attorney General Pam Bondi’s May testimony to the House Oversight Committee, where she stated that current Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche managed the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. During the closed-door interview, Bondi testified that Blanche oversaw the document review and redaction process mandated by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which passed last November.

According to the transcript, Bondi told lawmakers that Blanche managed document privileges and drafted a July 2025 memo stating the department lacked an incriminating client list. The document release process faced delays and acknowledged errors, including the improper publication of identifying information about victims. Despite criticism of the handling, Bondi defended Blanche's oversight, describing him to the committee as highly ethical. Following the testimony, Democratic committee members suggested pursuing a subpoena for Blanche.

Bondi invoked privilege and declined to answer specific questions during the interview, including inquiries about reported conversations with President Donald Trump regarding mentions of his name in the documents. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon attended the session on behalf of the Justice Department and interjected to prevent Bondi from discussing protected communications.

When asked about the status of ongoing investigations into Epstein associates, Bondi declined to provide an update, deferring those inquiries to Blanche and current Justice Department leadership.

Left Perspective

  • Betrayal of Vulnerable Victims
  • Shielding the Elite Power-Structure
  • Mandating Aggressive Congressional Oversight

Right Perspective

  • Executing Complex Legal Mandates
  • Preserving Executive Institutional Boundaries
  • Resisting Partisan Fishing Expeditions

How it may affect me

As a U.S. reader:

• In the short term, the public will not gain access to an anticipated list of implicated Epstein associates, as the Justice Department concluded in an internal memo that no such incriminating document exists.

• Future public disclosures mandated by transparency laws may face extended processing delays, as the government must navigate complex legal mandates and stricter redaction processes to avoid repeating the improper release of victim identities.

• Long-term public visibility into ongoing investigations of Epstein associates will likely remain restricted while the Justice Department continues to invoke executive privilege and defer providing updates to Congress.

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