A top House Democrat demands action after former attorney general Pam Bundy Did not show up for required testimony regarding the Jeffrey Epstein files. That could lead to a contempt of Congress case in Washington.
Robert Garcia, a Democrat from California and the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, sent a letter to Chairman James Cuomo on Thursday. “Any attempt to evade the subpoena must involve steps that would place Ms. Bundy in contempt of Congress,” he wrote. newsweek.
Garcia also said Bundy’s departure from the Justice Department won’t change anything. “The subpoena issued to Ms. Bundy requires her to appear and testify regardless of whether she leaves the Department of Justice,” he wrote, adding that if she did not appear “immediately,” lawmakers would “begin to pursue contempt of court charges” against her.
Why Bundy was called to testify
Bundy was scheduled to appear before the House Oversight Committee on April 14 to answer questions about her handling of the Epstein files. The decision to call her was supported by both parties. Some of the Republicans supporting the bill include Lauren Boebert, Tim Burchett, Michael Crowder, Nancy Mace and Scott Perry.
Prior to his removal, Bondi had already faced criticism for the Justice Department’s handling of Epstein-related records. according to Forbesshe initially promised transparency but later revealed only limited information. She and other Justice Department officials have since announced they would no longer voluntarily release any documents, sparking a backlash and pushing Congress to pass a law requiring the release of the documents.
Bondi also faced criticism during a tense hearing before the House Judiciary Committee in February, with lawmakers from both parties questioning her handling of the case. She made no apology to Epstein’s victims who were present.
Also read: ‘Zero connection to Jeffrey’: Trump denies Epstein’s claims of Melania contact, calls it fake news
Justice Department says subpoena no longer applies
President Donald Trump fired Pam Bondi in early April and temporarily put her deputy, Todd Branch, in charge of the Justice Department. As a result of this change, the department believes the citation is no longer valid.
According to Forbes, Assistant Attorney General Patrick Davis told the committee in a letter that because Bundy was subpoenaed “in her official capacity as attorney general, not in her personal capacity” and that she “no longer serves in that capacity,” the agency’s position is that “the subpoena no longer requires her to appear in court on April 14.”
The Justice Department also told Newsweek earlier that “the Justice Department remains committed to cooperating with the committee, but its subpoena to former Attorney General Bondi was issued in her official capacity as Attorney General. Due to the transition in Justice Department leadership, that subpoena is no longer applicable.”
However, Robert Garcia disagrees. He said the subpoena was for Bundy herself, not just her position.
Meanwhile, Republicans on the committee said they are working with Bundy’s legal team to set a new date for her to testify in her personal capacity, but a date has not yet been set, Forbes reported.
Ongoing controversy over Epstein documents
The Justice Department has released millions of pages of records related to Epstein, but the process has faced criticism for delays, extensive redactions and concerns about protecting the identities of victims.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and Epstein survivors have raised concerns, leading Bundy to demand more transparency and further testimony.
Cuomo previously said that “questions remain about the Department of Justice’s handling of the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and his associates and its compliance with the Epstein Documents Transparency Act.” He added that Bundy was “directly responsible” for overseeing the process and had “valuable insight into these efforts.”
what happens next
It’s unclear what will happen next. Forbes reported that Republicans on the committee are working with Bundy’s legal team to potentially reschedule her testimony in her personal capacity. It’s unclear whether any Republicans would support contempt charges if Democrats move forward.
The committee invited several high-profile figures to provide information in the investigation, including Les Wexner, Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton. Bill Gates is also scheduled to testify on June 10.
