Pam Bondi Faces Heated Questions in Confrontational Epstein Hearing

Fri Feb 13 2026 01:21:47 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi's testimony during a congressional hearing on the handling of Jeffrey Epstein's case led to intense exchanges, with lawmakers from both parties questioning her department's actions and accountability.

During a fiery House Judiciary Committee hearing, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the justice department's management of the Jeffrey Epstein files amidst criticism over redacted documents and treatment of victims. Bondi's heated exchanges with lawmakers highlighted bipartisan concerns about the handling of Epstein's case, including an apology request for mishandling victim identities and the transfer of Epstein's accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the justice department's handling of the files on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and faced a barrage of angry questions on other issues during a fiery congressional hearing on Wednesday.

Her testimony before the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee descended at times into a shouting match, with Bondi at one point calling a Democrat a washed-up loser. After another heated exchange, one lawmaker stormed out.

Here are some of the key exchanges from the four-hour hearing:

1. Epstein victims watch as Bondi defends redactions

The hearing followed the release by the justice department earlier this year of millions more files from its investigations into the well-connected pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Several of Epstein's victims were seated behind Bondi at the hearing, and lawmakers frequently referred to them.

In her opening statement, Bondi called Epstein a monster and told the victims she was sorry for the abuse they endured. However, lawmakers raised numerous complaints regarding the department's handling of the release of the files, including a failure to appropriately redact victim names as required by law.

Democratic congresswoman Pramila Jayapal mentioned that some nude images of survivors were included in the released files, which violated their privacy after years of protection.

Jayapal asked survivors present to stand if they had not met with the justice department; all of them did so. She urged Bondi to apologize to the victims for the mishandling of redactions.

Bondi responded, describing Jayapal's questioning as theatrics and stated, I'm not going to get in the gutter with this woman. She emphasized that officials were striving to protect victims within the timeframe set by legislation and any inadvertent releases were promptly addressed.

2. Republicans join in over Epstein complaints

The hearing turned tense over names in the Epstein files that had been redacted, with a bipartisan group of lawmakers accusing the justice department of improperly removing unprotected names from the files.

This prompted Bondi to express frustration, calling the inquiries a political joke as they pressed her for accountability regarding the redactions.

3. Lawmaker asks about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

California Democratic congressman Ted Lieu raised the topic of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, urging for testimony regarding his connections to Epstein. Lieu displayed a controversial image from the files, prompting Bondi to question the relevance of the inquiries directed at her.

4. Democrats push for Minneapolis investigation

Aside from Epstein, Bondi faced questions about federal immigration agents' actions in Minneapolis, which resulted in the fatalities of two individuals during confrontations. Lawmakers criticized the lack of investigation into these incidents, with Bondi defending the government's actions amidst national criticism.