Pam Bondi’s closed-door congressional testimony over the Epstein files centered on the same problem that has haunted the entire release process: the Justice Department promised transparency, then delivered a document dump riddled with redactions, omissions, privacy violations, and unanswered questions. According to the reporting, Bondi defended the DOJ’s handling of the files while acknowledging that there were “redaction errors,” including material that critics say should never have been exposed because it risked identifying victims. She also tried to distance herself from the day-to-day review by saying she delegated much of the process to then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, while still insisting the department acted lawfully and responsibly. Democrats came out of the session accusing her of stonewalling, especially when questions turned to Donald Trump, his name appearing in Epstein-related material, and whether the White House influenced what the public did or did not get to see.

The testimony also highlighted how much of the Epstein files fight has become a battle over controlled disclosure rather than real accountability. Bondi reportedly refused to answer multiple questions involving Trump, while lawmakers argued that millions of pages still had not been released and that the DOJ’s process protected powerful names while failing survivors. Republicans, including House Oversight Chair James Comer, framed the interview as part of a broader effort to figure out why documents remain withheld, while Democrats said Bondi’s answers only deepened suspicions that the release was managed to limit political damage. Bondi also said Ghislaine Maxwell should remain in prison for life and should not receive a pardon, but that hard line did little to settle the larger issue: the public still does not know who made the critical redaction decisions, why the files were handled so sloppily, and whether the government is releasing the truth or just carefully rationing pieces of it.

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Bondi shifts responsibility for Epstein files’ release to Todd Blanche, making him Democrats’ next target - POLITICO