Bondi Refuses to Appear for Deposition Despite Subpoena in Epstein Investigation (4/9/26) - The Epstein Chronicles

Episode Overview

Podcast: The Epstein Chronicles
Host: Bobby Capucci
Episode: Bondi Refuses to Appear for Deposition Despite Subpoena in Epstein Investigation
Date: April 9, 2026

This episode delves into the news that former Attorney General Pam Bondi is refusing to testify before Congress regarding the Justice Department’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein’s case, despite being subpoenaed. Host Bobby Capucci explores the implications of Bondi’s removal, the political maneuvering around her deposition, the opaque release of the Epstein files, and what this means for survivors and broader public accountability.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pam Bondi’s Removal and Refusal to Testify

Bondi ousted: Bondi was recently removed from her role as Attorney General. The timing raised questions about the motive, especially with Trump signaling support for Bondi (00:10).
Deposition Dodge: The Department of Justice officially announced Bondi will not appear for the April 14 deposition, citing her no longer holding the official role (00:50).
Host’s Skepticism: Capucci sharply criticizes what he sees as coordinated political protection for Bondi and others. He reiterates that this is less about legal minutiae and more about shielding the administration and its insiders from scrutiny (01:10).

“It’s always about loopholes and technicalities and protecting their friends.” – Bobby Capucci (02:37)

2. Criticism of Congressional and Justice Department Actions

Committee’s Role: The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee had subpoenaed Bondi, seeking answers about the DOJ’s handling of Epstein. Though the committee previously sought high-profile testimony (e.g., Bill Barr), Bondi is now being excused (01:20).
Implied Selectivity: Capucci is highly critical of Congress members, including James Comer and Anna Paulina Luna, arguing they show selective zeal only when it fits their agenda (03:15).

“They sure had a lot to say about the survivors. Right? Yeah. Nothing to say about Pam Bondi, though ... When it was time to depose the Clintons, Luna showed up... Is there a bigger faker in the whole entire Congress?” – Bobby Capucci (03:22)
Democrat’s Demand: Robert Garcia, top Democrat on the committee, insists the subpoena should be binding regardless of Bondi’s employment status, and raises the threat of contempt charges (05:30).

“Anybody who’s been issued a subpoena by Congress can just quit their job or get fired and then say, ‘You know what? You issued that subpoena when I was a plumber, but now I’m a astrophysicist, baby, you’re gonna have to redo it.’ Is that what we’re doing?” – Bobby Capucci (06:10)

3. The Epstein Files Transparency Act and Document Releases

Oversight: As AG, Bondi oversaw release of files on Epstein and Maxwell; around 3 million out of 6 million pages were released, with many documents withheld or heavily redacted (08:30).
DOJ Withholding Files: Capucci is deeply skeptical about the stated reasons for withholding files, suggesting the ongoing talk of protecting investigations is a smokescreen (09:10).

“There is no federal investigation. So what is it jeopardizing? Enough is enough. There needs to be accountability, and I don’t just mean for Epstein’s friends.” – Bobby Capucci (09:42)
Trump’s Role: Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, but Capucci posits this was done begrudgingly, not in genuine pursuit of accountability (10:32).

4. Accountability, Survivors, and Public Distrust

Damage to Survivors: Capucci repeatedly stresses Bondi’s actions harmed survivors seeking justice (05:22; 14:09).
Public Outrage and Redactions: There was bipartisan anger at the DOJ’s inconsistent redactions, particularly the failure to consistently shield survivors’ identities (15:20).
Reason for Withheld Files: DOJ’s reasons for removing files are questioned (explicit materials, unclear motives for removing call logs) (15:40).

“Was that on purpose or was it just a big accident? I have my suspicions, especially considering the way the Justice Department’s acted throughout this whole thing.” – Bobby Capucci (15:50)
Absence of Oversight: Capucci laments the broader failure of Congress to hold DOJ accountable as a recurring systemic issue (17:10).

“They can just do whatever they want, no accountability, no oversight. And if you don’t like it, too bad. I mean, that’s what they’re saying to us.” – Bobby Capucci (17:21)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Congressional Hypocrisy:
“It might as well be a South Park episode, right? The way these people carry themselves, the way they conduct themselves, and the way they pursue so-called justice.” — Bobby Capucci (04:20)
On Bondi’s Refusal:
“What a coward Pam Bondi is. She doesn’t even have the courage to get up there and plead the Fifth. She’s just going to run from it. She should never hold public office again. I don’t care if it’s Dog Catcher of Greeley County.” — Bobby Capucci (12:40)
On Institutional Evasion:
“Until Congress grow some backbone and get some teeth, you’re going to continue to see the DOJ and the Trump administration continue to dog walk them all the way down K Street.” — Bobby Capucci (18:03)

Timestamps for Key Segments

00:00 – 01:10: Introduction, Bondi’s removal and context
01:10 – 02:40: DOJ’s announcement and Capucci’s reaction
03:15 – 05:00: Critique of committee members and congressional hypocrisy
05:30 – 06:30: Discussion of subpoena’s validity after Bondi’s firing
08:30 – 10:00: Bondi’s role in file release and the incomplete transparency
12:40 – 13:10: Calling out Bondi’s refusal and its implications
15:20 – 15:50: On redaction problems and survivors’ exposure
17:10 – 18:03: Systemic lack of oversight and Capucci’s conclusion

Summary Flow and Tone

True to the podcast’s norm, Capucci’s commentary is direct, sarcastic, and unfiltered. He repeatedly calls out perceived hypocrisy and avoidance of accountability within Congress, the DOJ, and the Trump administration. His language is blunt, often biting, keeping the focus squarely on the continuing failures to investigate and address the deepest layers of the Epstein scandal.

Conclusion

This episode underscores ongoing frustration with government and institutional reluctance to seek or allow full transparency and accountability in the Epstein case. Capucci frames Bondi’s refusal to testify as emblematic of a systemic problem: powerful insiders shielding themselves through technicalities, selective enforcement, and congressional apathy, all at the expense of justice for survivors and the public’s right to know.

Transcript

A (0:00)

What's up, everyone? And welcome to another episode of the Epstein Chronicles. A couple of days ago, we found out that Pam Bondi was being removed from her position as Attorney General. And of course, that led to questions as to why they were making that move. Now, when Donald Trump has signaled that he's going to support Pam Bondi and he thinks that Pam Bondi is doing a fantastic job, and when this was all going down, I said to you that the whole purpose behind this was to keep Pam Bondi from testifying about what's going on with Jeffrey Epstein. And, well, wouldn't you know, we're now finding out by the Department of Justice that Pam Bondi won't be appearing for that April 14 deposition. So much for the world's most transparent administration, huh? And furthermore, if this is such a gigantic hoax, what are they so scared of? Why not just put Bondi under oath and let her get cracking? Today's article is from CBS News and the headline bondi won't appear for April 14 deposition and oversight Committee Z Epstein Probe. This article was authored by Melissa Quinn and Jacob Rosen. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi will not appear before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee next week to answer questions about the Justice Department's handling of the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The panel said on Wednesday. Why'd they bring in Bill Barr then? He's not the Attorney General anymore, but a lot of this nonsense happened on his watch, so they brought him in. But all of a sudden Pam Bondi's getting a pass. I told you from the beginning that James Comer is an absolute scoundrel and that the whole entire point of this committee is to whitewash what really happened and to provide as much cover as possible to the administration. And it's such an overtly ham handed attempt that I'm shocked that people aren't hip to what's going on here because it's obvious what they're doing. The Department of Justice has stated Pam Bondi will not appear on April 14 for a deposition since she is no longer Attorney General and was subpoenaed in her capacity as Attorney General. A spokeswoman for the Oversight Committee said the committee will contact Bondi's personal counsel to discuss next steps regarding scheduling her deposition. It's always about loopholes and technicalities and protecting their friends. The same people who had no interest in speaking to Les Wexner are now letting Pam Bondi off the hook. Maybe Anna Paulina Luna and her little band of merry idiots should talk a little bit about this. They sure had a lot to say about the survivors. Right? Yeah. Nothing to say about Pam Bondi, though, and obviously couldn't be bothered to go talk to Wexner. Now, of course, when it was time to depose the Clintons, Luna showed up and she had bells on, she had her influencer face on, and she was ready for war. Is there a bigger faker in the whole entire Congress? I don't think there is, and that's saying a lot. The subpoena issued by Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer last month required Bondi to appear for a closed door deposition. On Tuesday, the full oversight panel had approved a motion on March 4 to subpoena Bondi, who was then serving as Attorney General. Five Republicans voted with all Democrats in support of the move. And now they'll just backtrack. Ah, come on, guy. I was just playing. We're not going to depose Pam Bondi. I mean, it might as well be a South park episode, right? The way these people carry themselves, the way they conduct themselves, and the way they pursue so called justice. Might as well be a South park episode. The fact that anybody would let Pam Bondi off the hook is just unbelievable. This lady has caused tremendous damage, not only to the case, but to the survivors themselves. Representative Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the committee, said the subpoena issued by the committee is binding and demanded that she appear. Look, again, not a big fan of Robert Garcia, but he's not wrong. The subpoena wasn't issued to just the Attorney General. It was issued to Pam Bondi in her capacity as Attorney General. So because she left the position, that means she shouldn't have to come and speak on what has already occurred. So let me get this straight. Anybody who's been issued a subpoena by Congress can just quit their job or get fired and then say, you know what? You issued that subpoena when I was a plumber, but now I'm a astrophysicist, baby, you're gonna have to redo it. Is. Is that what we're doing? Is that really what's going on here? Because it sure seems that way to me. Now that Pam Bondi has been fired, she's trying to get out of her legal obligation to testify before the Oversight Committee of about the Epstein files and the White House cover up. He said in a statement. Our bipartisan subpoena is to Pam Bondi, whether she is the Attorney General or not. She must come in to testify immediately. And if she defies the subpoena, we will begin contempt Charges in Congress. The survivors deserve justice. Well, I don't know how much Robert Garcia cares about the survivors, but at least he brought them up and he's not wrong. They do. And when I say justice, I don't just mean from the people that were associating with Epstein anymore. I'm talking about everybody who's engaged in this cover up, everybody who's lied to the American people, everybody who has looked the other way, who has an official title, an official role. You're on the clock, bro. Every single one of you should be under investigation. And I'm not going to stop talking about a special counsel until it happens. As Attorney General, Bondi oversaw the Justice Department's review and release of files related to the federal investigation into Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, his longtime associate. You mean fellow child abuser general all around scuzbag and bipedal serpent, Is that what you mean? His longtime associate who's serving a 20 year prison sentence for sex trafficking crimes. The material was made public after Congress approved a measure called the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Well, that they had to take Trump kicking and screaming into. Do you really think Donald Trump wanted to sign that? If he wanted these files released, he would have released them. But that was never the goal. The goal was to lie to us during the campaign to get more votes. And then when he decides that he's not going to do that, he. He had the audacity to turn it around and call people traitors. So please spare me with any kind of nonsense about Donald Trump being a factor when it comes to this law being passed. The Justice Department ultimately released roughly 3 million pages of documents related to Epstein out of more than 6 million pages. Top department officials said roughly half the material was withheld for various reasons, including because some of the records came contain survivors personal information or risk jeopardizing an active federal investigation. There is no federal investigation. So what is it jeopardizing? Enough is enough. There needs to be accountability, and I don't just mean for Epstein's friends. I need to reiterate that point because this right here, it needs to stop and it needs to stop now. Bondi was ousted from her post as Attorney General last week after Mr. Trump announced Bondi's deputy, Todd Blanche, would serve as acting Attorney general. Bondi said she would stay on the job for a month to help him with the transition. But Blanche held a press conference on Tuesday as the acting head of the Justice Department, and the department has referred to him as such, an indication that he was officially taken over Again, they don't want her to be deposed. That's the whole thing here. It has nothing to do with performance. Trump loves her still. She's going to be, you know, part of his inner circle. But he doesn't want her talking about Jeffrey Epstein because he knows the jeopardy it puts everybody in. Earlier on Wednesday, GOP Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Democratic Representative Ro Khanna of California sent Comer a letter urging him to reaffirm Bondi's obligation to testify before the panel. Mace offered the motion to subpoena Bondi, and Khanna introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act. What a coward Pam Bondi is. She doesn't even have the courage to get up there and plead the Fifth. She's just going to run from it. She should never hold public office again. I don't care if it's Dog Catcher of Greeley County. The removal of Pam Bondi as Attorney General does not diminish the committee's legitimate oversight interest in seeking her sworn testimony or the need for accountability and information about files withheld from the public by the doj, they wrote in their letter. On the contrary, it makes her sworn testimony even more important, especially with respect to action she took as Attorney General, matters already under investigation and decisions made under her leadership. Now, what about any of that seems unreasonable? Like if they had some kind of unreasonable request here, like they wanted Pam Bondi to come in and do handstands and talk about things while she was doing that. Okay, I get it. Nobody's asking that. She's being asked to come in and defend the work that she and the DOJ did under her guidance. And isn't that the whole entire point of what the Oversight Committee is for? The Epstein Files Transparency act required the Justice Department to release its Epstein related material by December 19, but the Department instead disclosed the documents in a series of releases through the end of January. Democrats and some Republicans lambasted the Justice Department for inconsistency in the redaction of names and information found in the millions of pages of files. In the earlier releases of documents, the identities of some powerful people were shielded from the public. The Justice Department failed to redact some names and and personal details of survivors of Epstein's abuse, sparking outrage. Was that on purpose or was it just a big accident? I have my suspicions, especially considering the way the Justice Department's acted throughout this whole thing. Then you have Pam Bondi up here scared to go and testify. What does that signal to you? Does that sound like Pam Bondi and the DOJ has her house in order, or does it sound like chaos? A CBS News analysis also found that the Justice Department took down tens of thousands of files, some of which contained explicit images of survivors information. But the reason for the removal of other files, such as a call log with redacted names, are unclear. Well, they don't have to answer to you. What do you think you're paying the bills around here? You think your tax dollars are going to keep the lights on over at doj? They can just do whatever they want, no accountability, no oversight. And if you don't like it, too bad. I mean, that's what they're saying to us. That's exactly what the DOJ is saying, that they can do whatever they want, whenever they want to do it, and there's no oversight. And until Congress grow some backbone and get some teeth, you're going to continue to see the DOJ and the Trump administration continue to dog walk them all the way down K Street. All right, folks, that's going to do it for this one. 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