U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday defended her department's handling of files related to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. With Epstein victims sitting behind her, Bondi attempted to deflect constant criticism by mocking her Democratic interlocutors and praising Trump for his performance.

First modification: 02/12/2026 - 11:54 Last modification: 02/12/2026 - 12:14

United States Attorney General Pam Bondi came to the defense of Donald Trump. On Wednesday, as Democrats questioned the political exploitation of the Justice Department in the Jeffrey Epstein files case, Bondi took a combative tone to protect the Republican president.

In his speech, he mocked his Democratic questioners, praised Trump for the stock market's performance and openly aligned himself with a president he described as a victim of previous impeachments and investigations.

“You sit here and attack the president, and I'm not going to allow it,” Bondi told lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee. "I'm not going to tolerate it."

Epstein's victims sat behind her in the courtroom as Bondi staunchly defended the handling of Epstein's files, an issue that has dogged her tenure.

He accused Democrats of using Epstein's files to create a distraction from Trump's accomplishments. However, initially it was the Republicans who fueled the controversy over the documents and Bondi herself distributed folders to conservative influencers in the White House in 2025.

Republicans attempted to focus the hearing on traditional security issues such as violent crime and irregular immigration, but the session descended into a partisan showdown.

On the one hand, Bondi hurled insults at Democrats and insisted that he was not going to "stoop" to their level. On the other hand, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland accused her of refusing to answer his questions. Then the attorney general called him a "failed lawyer, not even a lawyer."

With similar comments, Bondi repeatedly deflected questions from Democrats as they expressed frustration at his refusal.

"This is pathetic. This is pathetic," said Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vermont, who attempted to ask Bondi about Trump administration officials with revealed ties to Epstein.

Between the victims and the partisan confrontation

"I'm not asking trick questions. The American people have a right to know the answers," he added.

In February 2025, Bondi distributed Epstein files to a group of influencers without new revelations, prompting demands from Trump's base for more documents to be released.

In her initial intervention, she urged Epstein's victims to go to the authorities with any information about the abuse they suffered and stated that she was "deeply saddened" by what happened. He assured survivors that "any allegations of criminal conduct will be taken seriously and investigated."

However, Bondi refused to apologize to victims for what the Justice Department under the Trump administration has put them through, calling Rep. Pramila Jayapal's plea at the hearing "theatrical."

Bondi's appearance on Capitol Hill came a year into his term, which has intensified concerns about possible political use of the Justice Department's powers against the president's adversaries.

On Wednesday, February 11, the Justice Department sought to indict Democratic lawmakers for releasing a video in which they urged military service members not to follow "unlawful orders," but a grand jury in Washington declined to file formal charges.

Countering criticism, Bondi highlighted the agency's work to reduce violent crime and said she is determined to return the department to its core missions after what she described as "years of bloated bureaucracy and political overreach."

Republican Rep. Jim Jordan praised Bondi for reversing Justice Department decisions under President Joe Biden.

Republicans say conservatives were unfairly harmed during that period, including Trump, who was charged in two federal cases that were dropped after his 2024 election victory.

“Under Attorney General Bondi, the Department of Justice has returned to its essential missions: upholding the rule of law, pursuing criminals, and keeping Americans safe,” Jordan said.

Exposed files and cover-up accusations

Democrats also criticized irregular redactions in Epstein's files, which exposed intimate details of the victims and included nude photographs.

A review by The Associated Press and other outlets found numerous examples of sloppy, inconsistent or non-existent editing that revealed sensitive private information.

“He is siding with the perpetrators and ignoring the victims,” Raskin said in his opening statement.

"That will be his legacy unless he acts quickly to change course. He is directing a massive cover-up of Epstein from the Department of Justice," he said.

Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who broke with his party to push for legislation that forced the release of the files, criticized him for disclosing the victims' personal information: "Literally the worst thing you can do to survivors, you did it," he said.

Bondi called Massie a “hypocrite” and accused him of suffering from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

Department officials have said they did everything possible to protect survivors, but that errors were inevitable given the volume of the materials and the speed required by law for their release.

Bondi said staff did "the best possible within the time frame established by legislation" mandating their release and that the files were removed when they were found to include victim information.

The Justice Department announced in July that it had concluded its review of Epstein's files and determined that no "client list" existed and there was no reason to make more documents public. That response led Congress to pass a law requiring the release of the files.

Earlier, Bondi had suggested in an interview with Fox News that an alleged “client list” of Epstein was on his desk for review. He later clarified that he was not referring to a specific list, but to the entire case files.

Finally, the Department of Justice publicly acknowledged that there was no such list of clients to whom minors were trafficked, which represented a rectification of previously generated expectations.

With AP

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