by Ben Whedon
Former Attorney General Pam Bondi will not appear before the House Oversight Committee on April 14 to address the Epstein files, the panel confirmed on Wednesday.
The Republican-led panel subpoenaed Bondi to testify last month amid scrutiny of the Department of Justice’s handling of the Epstein files and their release. Trump removed Bondi from her post earlier this month and Todd Blanche has taken over in an acting capacity.
“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,” an Oversight Committee spokesperson told CBS News. “The Committee will contact Pam Bondi’s personal counsel to discuss next steps regarding scheduling her deposition.”
The development comes despite some Republican members of the panel asserting that Bondi would still be required to testify despite her firing. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., insisted last week that Bondi was still compelled to appear.
“We did it by name and not by the title of the attorney general, so she’s still compelled and required by law to come before the committee,” Mace told CNN, referencing the subpoena. “And at this juncture, I’m not backing away from that or backing down from that.”
If Bondi does end up testifying, she will join Bill and Hillary Clinton, who also testified regarding Epstein.
In Hillary Clinton’s opening statement, she said she had “no idea” about Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell’s “criminal activities.”
“I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein. I never flew on his plane or visited his island, homes or offices. I have nothing to add to that,” she said.
Bill Clinton, in his opening statement, said, “Before we start, I have to get personal. You made Hillary come in. She had nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. Nothing. She has no memory of even meeting him. She neither traveled with him nor visited any of his properties.”
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Ben Whedon is a reporter for Just the News. Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network and contributed to this story.
Photo “Pam Bondi” by DOJ.
