PoliticsPam Bondi Blames Botched Release of Epstein Files on Donald Trump's Former Personal Lawyer: 'I Delegated Oversight'
Pam Bondi diverted blame toward Todd Blanche in a recent hearing about the Jeffrey Epstein files.
May 29 2026, Published 5:45 p.m. ET
Pam Bondi didn't mince words during her testimony on Capitol Hill, as she pointed the finger at Donald Trump's former lawyer Todd Blanche for the botched release of the Epstein files.
"As the head of a large Department with broad responsibilities, I did not lead every aspect of this effort or conduct that document review myself," Bondi, 60, said in an opening statement in Congress on Friday, May 29. "I delegated oversight over this process to Deputy Attorney General Blanche."
Pam Bondi Blamed Todd Blanche
Todd Blanche stepped into the role of acting attorney general following Pam Bondi's firing in April.
"The team of professionals who reviewed all of the materials that we collected assured me the only materials that were withheld were either non-responsive, privileged, or duplicative," she continued.
Blanche, 51, has taken over the role of acting attorney general following Bondi's firing in April. Blanche is best known for his work as Trump's lead criminal attorney, representing him in three criminal cases brought against the president in 2023 and 2024.
Pam Bondi's Closed-Door Interview Lasted 4 Hours
The Department of Justice has faced backlash over its handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
The Department of Justice has faced backlash over its handling of the Epstein files, including failure to redact the names of victims.
Bondi's closed-door interview on Capitol Hill lasted roughly four hours and was an opportunity for lawmakers to question her about the investigation into the documents.
She was reportedly not under oath, and the interview was not conducted on camera, unlike other witnesses who have gone before the committee.
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Lawmakers Aren't Happy With Pam Bondi's Testimony
Democrats weren't happy with Pam Bondi's answers.
Democrats have voiced frustration about the hearing, as Bondi reportedly deferred blame and refused to answer questions about the president.
"Every single one of our questions got one of three responses: one, 'not to my recollection,' or 'I don’t know,' number two, 'talk with Todd Blanche, I don’t know anything about it,’ and three, 'I am not talking about Donald Trump,'" said Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost.
Todd Blanche Claimed All Epstein Files Had Been Released
Pam Bondi reportedly acknowledged that the DOJ has documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein that haven't been released.
House Democrats claimed Bondi acknowledged during the questioning that the Justice Department has yet to release three million of the six million Epstein files.
This directly contradicts Blanche's recent comments that he has no plans to expose any additional documents related to the late s-- trafficker.
"We have released everything," he told Fox News on April 14. "We reviewed six million pieces of paper. What we released [was] anything associated with the Epstein files. So we are not sitting on a single piece of paper. Nothing that should be released."
