The House Oversight Committee on Wednesday voted to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi, demanding that she testify about the Justice Department’s handling of files tied to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The motion passed with bipartisan backing, as five Republicans joined Democrats in supporting the subpoena introduced by GOP Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina. The move signals intensifying frustration within Congress over the Department of Justice’s review, redaction, and public release of millions of pages connected to Epstein’s sex trafficking investigation.
The Justice Department did not immediately comment on the subpoena vote.
In a statement following the committee’s decision, Mace declared:
“Our motions to subpoena the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights and AG Pam Bondi have both passed the Oversight Committee.
AG Bondi will testify about missing Epstein evidence. The videos, the audio, the documents, the DOJ is hiding.
The American people deserve transparency. Survivors deserve justice. We’re delivering both. Accountability is coming.”
The subpoena comes amid mounting scrutiny over discrepancies in the number of Epstein-related documents publicly available through the DOJ’s online library.
Document dispute deepens
A recent analysis by CBS News found that the Justice Department currently makes approximately 2.7 million pages of Epstein-related documents available online — a figure below its earlier claim of more than 3 million pages.
Initially, the department stated that its release — made in response to a congressional law mandating broad disclosure — comprised more than 3 million pages. When combined with previously released materials, officials put the total at 3.5 million pages.
Also Read: Fresh Evidence Exposes What DOJ Has Been Doing With Epstein’s Files
However, as of late February, more than 47,000 files totaling roughly 65,500 pages had been taken offline, according to the CBS analysis. Many of the links now return “page not found” errors.
Some of the removed documents reportedly contained explicit images or personally identifiable information related to nearly 100 survivors — including one document that included unredacted photos of 21 individuals along with most of their birthdates.
Other removals, such as a fully redacted call log and images of Epstein’s jail cell, remain less clearly explained.
DOJ spokesperson Natalie Baldassarre responded to inquiries by saying the analysis appeared “fundamentally flawed,” adding that the department had “not deleted any files from the library.”
She confirmed that tens of thousands of files remain offline for further review and said they would be republished once proper redactions are complete.
“Our team is working around the clock to address victim concerns, redact personally identifiable information and any images of a sexual nature,” Baldassarre said.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has stated that the department reviewed roughly 6 million total pages, meaning the publicly released tranche represents less than half of the full archive.
Officials say withheld materials are either duplicates, privileged records, related to ongoing investigations, or protected to safeguard survivors.
Political fallout over Epstein files
The controversy has drawn in high-profile political figures across party lines.
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently sat for depositions before lawmakers examining Epstein’s network and connections dating back more than two decades.
Meanwhile, NPR reported that certain Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) interview materials containing allegations against former President Donald Trump were cataloged but not made publicly available.
According to that reporting, more than 50 pages of FBI notes and interviews tied to a woman who accused Trump of misconduct decades ago were among the materials withheld.
House Oversight Committee Democrats, led by ranking member Robert Garcia, have launched a parallel inquiry into whether the DOJ improperly withheld those documents.
“Oversight Democrats can confirm that the DOJ appears to have illegally withheld FBI interviews with this survivor who accused President Trump of heinous crimes,” Garcia said in a statement.
Also Read: Clinton Deposition Reveals What He Testified on Trump–Epstein Claims Under Oath
Republicans on the panel, for their part, continue examining records tied to Ghislaine Maxwell — Epstein’s former associate, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking — and other figures who appear in the broader document trove.
Oversight showdown
Beyond the political implications, lawmakers from both parties have criticized the structure and accessibility of the document release itself.
The bulk of the records were uploaded in a massive three-part dump on January 30, lacking chronological organization and containing duplicate entries.
The DOJ also removed the ability to download the files in bulk, although it maintains a searchable database as required by law.
Critics argue that the lack of organization and shifting file counts have made meaningful public review difficult. Supporters of the department say redactions and temporary removals are necessary to protect victims and ongoing investigative efforts.
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