Eleven survivors of Jeffrey Epstein were in a congressional hearing room. Each of them raised their hand to say they still haven’t been able to talk to the Trump Justice Department.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to do something simple: apologize to the survivors for how the Justice Department handled the Epstein files — including releasing personal information about the victims while keeping powerful people safe.
Bondi refused.
Instead, she blamed former Attorney General Merrick Garland.
When Jayapal got her chance to ask again, Bondi got angry and said she wouldn’t “get in the gutter with these theatrics.”
Theatrics?
Eleven survivors behind her, asking to be heard, is not theater. It’s accountability.
Jayapal stood her ground.
“This is not about the people before you,” she said. “It’s about you taking responsibility for the Department of Justice and the harm it has caused.”
Bondi pushed back, interrupted, argued with the chair, and finally refused to answer directly.
The conversation turned into a shouting match, with Bondi calling Democrats “unprofessional” and attacking lawmakers instead of the survivors.
At one point, she even insulted Rep. Jamie Raskin, saying he’s “not even a lawyer.”
(He is.)
Meanwhile, Democrats asked serious questions: Why were victims’ names released while people accused of being involved stayed protected?
How many Epstein-linked people have been charged? Why did Bondi say there was a “client list” and then say there wasn’t one?
Bondi’s answer?
More blame-shifting, more anger, more deflection.
This is the same Justice Department that talks about “transparency” while survivors say they’ve been ignored.
The same administration that made releasing Epstein files a campaign promise — until the spotlight made things uncomfortable.
When faced with real people demanding answers, Bondi chose confrontation over compassion.
She wouldn’t turn around.
And that says everything.
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