Trump’s pick to lead DHS faces questions about temperament, stolen valor and ICE
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Top Trump officials arrive at the Hill
Top Trump officials arrive at the Hill
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Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche have arrived on Capitol Hill for a closed-door briefing on the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
“We look forward to speaking with them tonight, and we’ll talk to you when it’s over. Thank you,” Bondi told reporters, without taking questions.
The briefing was announced Tuesday by House Oversight Chair James Comer as part of the committee’s Epstein probe as there has been bipartisan frustration over the DOJ’s redaction process and documents that are still being withheld.
Comer also issued a subpoena for Bondi to appear for a deposition next month, writing that his panel is investigating the “possible mismanagement of the federal government’s investigation” into Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
A source familiar with matter previously told CNN that DOJ had requested to brief lawmakers on its Epstein investigation to promptly answer lawmakers’ questions, given that scheduling a deposition with the committee will take time.
The Justice Department and a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers on Capitol Hill have battled over releasing investigative files from the Epstein case since the beginning of the Trump administration, ultimately resulting in a new law that compelled the DOJ to release all Epstein-related documents with exceptions for victims’ identities, privileged information or information that is part of an ongoing federal investigation
But the law’s passage in November did little to appease lawmakers, who believed the files were overly redacted and demanded greater transparency.
Senior officials at the Justice Department have consistently pushed back, saying that the tight deadline made it difficult to properly review millions of Epstein-related documents for release and that any mistakes identified by the public would be quickly fixed.
Blanche said in an interview Wednesday that the idea the Justice Department is “ignoring Epstein victims” is unequivocally false, and that prosecutors are prepared to investigate or charge anyone potentially involved in the abuse should the evidence arise.
