House Oversight Committee voted 24-19 to summon Pam Bondi over Epstein files handling
Five Republicans joined Democrats in bipartisan demand for transparency
DOJ released over 3 million Epstein documents including videos and pictures
DOJ is now investigating whether it improperly withheld documents
Bondi previously provided document binders to conservative influencers at the White House
📖 Full Retelling
The US House of Representatives' Oversight Committee voted 24 to 19 on Wednesday to summon Attorney General Pam Bondi to testify about the Trump administration's handling of Jeffrey Epstein files, with five Republican members joining Democrats in demanding answers about the release of millions of documents related to the convicted sex offender. The bipartisan vote reflected growing frustration within both parties over how the Department of Justice has managed the Epstein documents, which include over three million files containing email exchanges, more than 2,000 videos, and 180,000 pictures related to Epstein's activities. Bondi, who previously provided binders of these documents to conservative influencers at the White House, has defended the department's approach while accusing Democrats of politicizing the issue to distract from the administration's achievements. The move to compel Bondi's testimony was led by Republican Representative Nancy Mace, a vocal advocate for sexual assault victims who emphasized that 'the American people want answers on the Epstein files.' Her leadership on this issue comes after she recently attempted, unsuccessfully, to force the publication of misconduct and harassment reports involving members of Congress. The Department of Justice, which has not officially commented on the congressional action, released the massive trove of Epstein documents in January, clarifying that being mentioned in the files does not indicate wrongdoing. However, the department's earlier assertion in July that no Epstein 'client list' existed and that no additional files needed to be public prompted widespread criticism and led Congress to pass legislation demanding the entire collection's release.
🏷️ Themes
Government Transparency, Political Accountability, Sexual Abuse Scandal
The Epstein files are a collection of millions of documents, images, and videos detailing the criminal activities of American financier and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including his social circle of public figures, politicians, and celebrities. The files are documents collected as ...
American financier and child sex offender (1953–2019)
# Jeffrey Edward Epstein
**Jeffrey Edward Epstein** (January 20, 1953 – August 10, 2019) was an American financier and convicted sex offender. He is notorious for orchestrating a massive human trafficking ring, procuring at least 1,000 underage girls and young women for sexual exploitation by himse...
Pamela Jo Bondi ( BON-dee; born November 17, 1965) is an American attorney and politician who has served as the 87th United States attorney general since 2025. A member of the Republican Party, she served as the 37th attorney general of Florida from 2011 to 2019.
Born and raised in the Tampa Bay are...
Congress votes to summon Pam Bondi over handling of Epstein files The House of Representatives' Oversight Committee voted to call Ms Bondi to give evidence by 24 votes to 19, with five Republican members backing it. Thursday 5 March 2026 03:46, UK 0:37 Share Congress questioning erupts into shouting match Why you can trust Sky News The US Congress is demanding answers from the Trump administration over its handling of the Epstein files after a congressional committee voted to call attorney general Pam Bondi to give evidence. The House of Representatives' Oversight Committee passed the motion by 24 votes to 19 on Wednesday. Five Republican members backed it, reflecting the frustration some in Donald Trump's party feel over how the justice department has approached the issue. Their anger has been shared by sections of Mr Trump's MAGA (Make America Great Again) support base. 'People want answers' The department, which has not commented, released more than three million files relating to the activities of the convicted paedophile in January, including email exchanges, more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 pictures. Being mentioned in the files does not indicate wrongdoing. The move to call Ms Bondi to give evidence was led by Republican Nancy Mace, who posted on X: "The American people want answers on the Epstein files, and so do we." Ms Mace, a vocal advocate for sexual assault victims, recently tried unsuccessfully to force the publication of misconduct and harassment reports involving members of Congress. Read more from Sky News: US allies fear shortage of weapons Is AI giving US lethal edge in Iran? Epstein, a wealthy and well-connected financier, was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges and was found dead in his prison cell in August that year. Ms Bondi, who gave binders of documents from the files to conservative influencers at the White House last year, has defended the department's handling of the files and has accused Democrats of using the issue to...
