House Democrats walked out of Pam Bondi’s Epstein briefing – what they told reporters on the way out puts her in a tough spot

House Democrats walked out of a closed-door briefing with Attorney General Pam Bondi, expressing frustration over her refusal to commit to complying with a recent subpoena. The walkout happened while Bondi was still briefing lawmakers on the Epstein files, just a day after the subpoena was issued for her sworn testimony in mid-April.

According to NBC News, Democratic members of the Republican-led House Oversight Committee told reporters that Bondi, who was joined by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, wouldn’t confirm she’d show up for her April 14 deposition. 

That’s where she’s supposed to answer questions about the Justice Department’s handling of records related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the panel, stated that Bondi “refused on multiple occasions to commit to following the subpoena.”

The bipartisan subpoena vote and a heated exchange between lawmakers reveal growing tensions

Bondi, however, had a different take after the briefing wrapped up. When asked directly about the subpoena, she told reporters that she “made it crystal clear I will follow the law.” The committee’s decision to subpoena Bondi passed 24-19, with five Republicans siding with Democrats. Committee Chair James Comer, who voted against the subpoena, confirmed Tuesday that it had been sent. 

When pressed on whether the committee would hold Bondi in contempt if she didn’t comply, Comer sidestepped the question, saying, “Well, we’ll have to, we’ll have to talk about that.” The exchange between Comer and Rep. Summer Lee, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, was particularly heated. Lee told reporters she asked Comer if he would compel Bondi to attend the April deposition and move to hold her in contempt if she refused.

“Instead of answering as an adult, he said that I was b—-ing, which is again, something that would not be allowed if we were operating under the rules of this committee, because engaging in personalities is actually something that we are not able to do,” Lee explained. Comer later confirmed her account, adding, “I’ve never seen members storm out of a briefing with the attorney general.”

The Justice Department called the subpoena “completely unnecessary” and noted that Bondi “continues to have calls and meetings with members of Congress on the Epstein Files Transparency Act.” Many Epstein survivors and members of Congress have criticized the Justice Department’s handling of the files. Critics pointed to how the DOJ redacted the most damaging Epstein file sections, blacking out information about possible accomplices while leaving victim details exposed.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, a former personal lawyer to President Donald Trump, has been central to the Justice Department’s review of these files. He conducted a nine-hour interview with Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell in July, a move many former prosecutors found highly unusual. 

Blanche was also involved when the Justice Department removed over a dozen photographs, including one picturing President Trump, from a release of the files, insisting the decision had “nothing to do with President Trump.”

This month, the Justice Department released more previously unseen Epstein documents, including FBI interview notes involving a woman who made allegations against President Trump, though authorities have not accused him of any wrongdoing. The newly released files also contain shocking FBI tip allegations involving Trump and his brother, which have drawn significant public attention.