Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies during a House Judiciary Committee hearing titled “Oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice” on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, at the Rayburn Building.
Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call Inc. | Getty Images
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee announced Tuesday that it has subpoenaed Attorney General Pam Bondi to appear for an April 14 deposition regarding the Justice Department’s handling of notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) specified the deposition date in a new letter to Bondi, nearly two weeks after the committee voted to issue a subpoena to Congress.
The committee wants to question Mr. Bondi about the Justice Department’s compliance with the Epstein File Transparency Act, which was passed with overwhelming support in Congress and signed by President Donald Trump in mid-November.
Comer’s letter said the lawmakers also have questions about the department’s handling of the department’s investigation into Epstein, who died by suicide in prison while facing federal sex trafficking charges in 2019, and his associates.
Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 of recruiting young girls for Epstein, was interviewed by Justice Department official Todd Blanche in July. Maxwell, who is seeking pardon from Mr. Trump, said in the interview that he had no knowledge of any wrongdoing by the president, a former friend of Mr. Epstein.
“This subpoena is completely unnecessary,” a Justice Department spokesperson told CNBC in a statement.
“Members of Congress have been invited to personally view the unredacted files at the Department of Justice, and the Attorney General has always been available to speak directly to members of Congress,” the spokesperson said.
“She continues to have calls and meetings with members of Congress regarding the Epstein File Transparency Act, so the department has offered to brief the committee tomorrow. As always, we look forward to continuing to provide policymakers with the facts.”
The subpoena for Mr. Bondi came four days after the oversight committee announced it was seeking testimony from prison officers who were on duty the night Mr. Epstein died.
The committee has already interviewed former President Bill Clinton, former first lady Hillary Clinton, and retail billionaire Leslie Wexner under oath regarding their ties to Epstein. All deny involvement or knowledge of Epstein’s illegal activities.
Mr. Bondi appeared before the House Judiciary Committee last month in a hearing that often turned into a series of angry fights with Democratic lawmakers.
Pressed about the department’s handling of the Epstein file and related investigations, Mr. Bondi touted stock market gains, praised Mr. Trump and occasionally insulted panelists, often referring to binders filled with research by his opponents.
