Happening now
• Key hearing: Attorney General Pam Bondi is testifying at a heated House Judiciary Committee amid ongoing controversies related to the Jeffrey Epstein files release, investigation into President Donald Trump’s political foes and the handling of the fatal shootings of two US citizens in Minnesota by immigration enforcement officers.
• Clashes with lawmakers: Bondi called Rep. Jamie Raskin – a former constitutional law professor and the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee – a “washed up loser lawyer,” as the clash between her and committee Democrats escalated over her approach to their questions.
• Democrats focus on Epstein: Bondi directly addressed Epstein survivors present, telling them that she is “deeply sorry” for the abuse they suffered. Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal asked survivors in the room to stand up and raise their hand if they had not been able to meet with the DOJ about the abuse they faced. She said every victim raised their hand.
Bondi: Ghislaine Maxwell will ‘hopefully die in prison’
Attorney General Pam Bondi said Wednesday that Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for conspiring with Jeffrey Epstein to abuse minors, will “hopefully die in prison,” as President Donald Trump has left open the possibility of granting her clemency.
The comment from Bondi came as she was fielding questions from a Democratic lawmaker about the Trump administration’s approach to Maxwell, who was moved last summer from a Florida prison to a lower-security prison camp in Texas after she sat for a two-day interview with one of Bondi’s deputies.
The attorney general insisted that Maxwell’s new facility was on equal footing with her old one, and claimed she had no involvement in the decision to transfer her between the two, a move with which she said she disagreed.
More recently, Maxwell has said that if Trump granted her clemency, she would clear his name of any wrongdoing as it pertains to Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in 2019 as he awaited trial on child sex abuse charges.
“Should Donald Trump pardon or commute her sentence?” Democratic Rep. Deborah Ross asked Bondi. “You said you hope she dies there so I’m hoping the answer is ‘no.’”
“I already answered that question,” Bondi replied.
Trump has not ruled out the possibility of offering Maxwell a pardon or commutation.
Bondi pressed on why Justice Department hired Capitol rioter
When pressed on why the Justice Department employs a man who encouraged others to kill law enforcement on January 6, 2021, Attorney General Pam Bondi explained it away — noting that President Donald Trump had issued commutations and pardons for those who stormed the Capitol.
Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse played a video of the man, ex-FBI agent Jared Wise, from the Capitol riot shouting “Kill ‘em! Kill ‘em! Kill ‘em!” at law enforcement during the attack.
Neguse noted that a “federal grand jury indicted (Wise) for two felonies and four misdemeanors related to his participation in the attack on January 6,” including assaulting or resisting police.
Bondi confirmed that Wise was a DOJ employee — having been hired as a senior adviser last summer.
“I believe he was pardoned by President Trump,” Bondi said.
“Oh, he was pardoned. You’re right. You’re right, pardoned by President Trump for his offense, pardoned for yelling ‘kill him’ at police officers,” Neguse said. “And yet you expect hard working police officers across the country to believe that you take law enforcement seriously.”
The trial against Wise was set to conclude, but prior to a verdict President Donald Trump pardoned those involved in the attack and the case was dismissed at the request of Trump’s Justice Department.
Wise, during trial, claimed that his comments urging people to kill law enforcement “was just an angry reaction,” according to NPR.
Bondi grilled on Trump domestic terrorism order aimed at left wing groups
Attorney General Pam Bondi refused to answer a lawmaker’s yes-or-no questions about the work the Justice Department is doing to comply with President Donald Trump’s controversial “domestic terrorism” order that takes aim at left-wing groups.
Rep. Mary Scanlon noted that Trump’s September 25, 2025 order has been criticized for being “designed to silence those who disagree with the administration.”
The Pennsylvania Democrat pointed to a command in the executive order that the Justice Department submit to Trump and White House aide Stephen Miller a list of groups that could meet the definition of a domestic terrorist group. She asked Bondi whether the department had compiled the list, requesting a yes or no response.
Bondi indicated she would not answer with a yes or no, attempting to pivot to a response about antifa, and Scanlon quickly moved on.
She asked if Bondi would commit to providing to the committee any list of organizations the department was recommending for domestic terrorism designations.
“I’m not going to commit to anything to you, because you won’t let me answer questions,” Bondi said.
Trump’s order said it was targeting violent “anti-facism” movements, which it described in broad terms as “anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christianity; support for the overthrow of the United States Government; extremism on migration, race, and gender; and hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, religion, and morality.”
Scanlon noted that the department is legally required to notify Congress when it designates a group as a foreign terrorism organization.
“Your position seems to be that if you falsely designated American or an American organization as a terrorist group, there’s nothing they can do about it.” she said. “I think we get it. You don’t want to answer the question.”
“No, you don’t get anything,” Bondi shot back.
Hearing breaks for House vote
Lawmakers are breaking for House votes.
Among the legislation being weighed by House members today is a push to curb Trump’s authority on tariffs and stricter voting rules.
Bondi touts effort to "protect" some protesters as work by ‘Weaponization Working Group’ ramps up
Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday touted the Justice Department’s efforts to “protect” protesters advocating on behalf of conservative causes as a “Weaponization Working Group” intended to focus on the issue is expected to ramp up its work.
“That was one of the main focuses of President Trump and this administration,” she told lawmakers Wednesday.
“We will protect parents at school boards. We will protect children in schools. We will protect parents’ rights for their children’s education in our school system in this country,” Bondi said. “We will protect Christians. We will protect everyone who wants to freely protest. If Christians want to protest in front of an abortion clinic without being arrested, they will do so.”
CNN reported earlier this month that the working group established by Bondi last year is now expected to meet daily in an effort to produce results in coming months.
Among the group’s priorities are probing allegations that the department, under former President Joe Biden, discriminated against religious adherents, and a memo meant to protect school board members against threats from parents.
CNN’s Casey Gannon contributed to this report.
Massie tells Bondi he caught her "red handed" over Les Wexner redaction
Rep. Thomas Massie, one of the only Republicans to address Jeffrey Epstein and the redacted files released by the Justice Department during Wednesday’s hearing, pressed Attorney General Pam Bondi on why names were redacted in an FBI document listing potential co-conspirators of Epstein.
“Are you able to track who it was that obscured Les Wexner’s name as a co-conspirator in an FBI document?” Massie asked in regard to the billionaire business magnate.
“Within 40 minutes, Wexner’s name was added back,” Bondi said of the FBI document, which was partially unredacted after Massie noted the issue when he reviewed unredacted versions of DOJ documents earlier this week.
“In 40 minutes of me catching you red handed,” Massie shot back.
Bondi defended herself, saying “there was one redaction.”
“He’s listed as a co-conspirator!” Massie said.
Lawyers for Wexner said in December that the Assistant US Attorney in charge of the Epstein investigation “stated at the time that Mr. Wexner was neither a co-conspirator nor target in any respect.”
Read more about the FBI document here.
Massie also noted that in several documents he was able to review without redactions, redactions still existed — including large white-blocks in FBI files.
“This guy has Trump derangement syndrome,” Bondi said after Massie’s time to question her expired.
Video of Trump talking to Epstein plays at hearing
After Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu played a decades old clip of Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump speaking at a party, Attorney General Pam Bondi said “there is no evidence that Donald Trump has committed a crime.”
Lieu then accused Bondi of lying under oath, saying that a witness reported they talked to a woman who said she was raped by Trump.
“Don’t you ever accuse me” of committing a crime, Bondi snapped back.
Trump has never been charged with an Epstein-related crime and has denied any wrongdoing tied to his relationship with the accused sex trafficker.
More people should be charged with Epstein related crimes, lawmakers say
Lawmakers have repeatedly asked Attorney General Pam Bondi about men who appeared in the Epstein files, questioning why additional people are not facing charges for his alleged sex trafficking operation.
Among the people who are photographed in the files is former Prince Andrew, who attended various parties with Jeffrey Epstein. Democrats have also mentioned President Donald Trump’s appearance in some of the documents.
But appearing in the files is not enough evidence for the department to bring charges, Bondi has pointed out.
In a memo from last summer, the Justice Department and FBI said that investigators “did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.”
Neither Trump nor former Prince Andrew have been charged with an Epstein-related crime and both have denied any wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, Democratic congressman in "illegal orders" video threatens DOJ with legal action
An attorney for Colorado Rep. Jason Crow, one of the Democrats targeted by the Justice Department over their “illegal orders” video, went on offense in a letter to US attorney Jeanine Pirro, saying he will take legal action if prosecutors try again to indict him.
“The baseless and absurd allegations by Donald Trump, followed by your carrying out of the President’s political retribution campaign has already gone too far, and are evidence of yet another abuse of power directed at those who dare speak out and criticize this Administration,” wrote Abbe Lowell, an attorney for Crow.
Lowell said in the letter that the Justice Department should preserve all records and documents.
Crow’s lawyer said potential legal action could include claims that the lawmaker’s rights were violated, including his First Amendment protections and Speech or Debate Clause protections, among others.
The letter was sent a day after a federal grand jury declined to indict the Democratic lawmakers related to the video released in November. The six, who are veterans or former intelligence officials, urged service members and intelligence officials in the 90-second video to disobey any illegal orders from the Trump administration.
Democrat accuses Bondi of doing a "Jekyll and Hyde kind of routine" in testy hearing
A Democratic member of the House Judiciary Committee accused Pam Bondi of doing a “Jekyll and Hyde kind of routine” as the attorney general’s testy exchanges with members of his party contrast heavily with her more measured responses to questions from Republicans.
“You do a Jekyll and Hyde kind of routine around here and I just want you to answer my questions,” Rep. Hank Johnson, of Georgia, said as Bondi refused to field some of his queries.
“What does Jekyll and Hyde mean? Can you explain that?” Bondi shot back.
“It means you’re nice to the Republicans and you turn like Hyde on Democrats,” the congressman responded.
Wednesday’s hearing has featured tense exchanges between Bondi and Democrats on the panel, with the attorney general hurling insults at several of them and repeatedly refusing to engage on topics concerning Jeffrey Epstein and the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, among others.
Republicans, meanwhile, have seen no such tension as they’ve lobbed largely softball questions at Bondi and praised her leadership at the Justice Department.
Testimony highlights threats to lawmakers
During Bondi’s testimony, Democrats and Republicans found a rare spot of agreement: Threats to lawmakers are bad.
Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell highlighted several threatening messages and calls he has received, including against his family, and pressed Bondi on why some have not yet faced charges.
“We never expected that the Department of Justice would not seek to prosecute and investigate those who are making threats against us, and that would include those on that side of the aisle,” Swalwell said. “I’m just asking for your help to protect life, because life is at risk with the environment we’re in right now.”
On those threat, Bondi said several direct investigations “are very active.”
“I believe one has been charged publicly, and that’s something I would be happy to talk to you about off camera, but I can assure you that they are very serious,” Bondi said. “They are being looked into, and I can give you more details on those. None of you should be threatened ever. None of your children should be threatened. None of your families should be threatened, and I will work with you.”
Chairman Jim Jordan followed up, saying he was “sorry for what the gentleman and his family have had to go had to go through.”
Threats against lawmakers have skyrocketed in recent years, with the United States Capitol Police reviewing hundreds of potential threats each day.
Bondi's testimony so far marked by repeated screaming matches with Democrats
Bondi’s first hour of testimony was combative, devolving into personal attacks on Democrats and screaming matches over whose turn it is to speak.
The strategy lines up with Bondi’s testimony several months ago in front of the Senate: Engage on questions about cartels, immigration and alleged weaponization of justice, launch ad hominem criticisms of democrats, and laud President Donald Trump.
The tension came almost immediately after Bondi refused to apologize for the department’s treatment of Epstein survivors and mistakes in redactions. Bondi was quick to accuse Rep. Pramila Jayapal of trying to drag her “into the gutter.”
The attorney general made the same accusation against Rep. Jerry Nadler, who similarly asked about her treatment of Epstein survivors. When Rep. Jamie Raskin jumped into the exchange to criticize what he said was an effort to avoid the question, Bondi shouted that he was a “washed up loser lawyer.”
Bondi also caught Democrats off guard with some of her answers, pivoting to the Dow numbers and ominously telling two of them, “you’re a great stock trader.”
The Democratic lawmakers haven’t shied away from the fights, repeatedly shouting over the attorney general and accusing her of wasting their questioning time.
“I think it’s pathetic that she can’t answer the questions,” Rep. Zoe Lofgren said.
Bondi calls top House Judiciary Democrat a "washed up, loser lawyer"
Attorney General Pam Bondi called Rep. Jamie Raskin — a former constitutional law professor and the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee — a “washed up loser lawyer,” as a clash between her and committee Democrats escalated over her approach to their questions.
“Not even a lawyer,” Bondi added of Raskin, a Maryland Democrat.
The jabs came after fellow committee Democrat, New York Rep. Jerry Nadler asked Bondi how many of Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirators were being indicted or investigated.
She did not immediately answer directly, prompting Democrats’ accusations of evading their questions. Raskin jumped in to warn her against filibustering, adding “I told you about that Attorney General before we started.”
“You don’t tell me anything,” Bondi shouted.
Photo shows Bondi's prepared papers
During her testimony, Justice Department Attorney General Pam Bondi was seen with a document listing out Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s “search history” of Jeffrey Epstein documents held by the DOJ.
Lawmakers this week have been allowed to review unredacted versions of the Epstein documents maintained by the Justice Department.
According to the list Bondi had, Jayapal reviewed emails from the documents that discussed “naughty” young women, an email to Epstein saying “I love the torture video” and more.
Bondi also had a version of a graph, apparently from law enforcement, connecting Epstein with other potential co-conspirators, including his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell and his longtime assistant Lesley Groff (whose first name is misspelled as “Leslie”).
Groff’s lawyer told CNN his client had no comment on the chart.
Bondi’s chart includes images and the names of three employees of Epstein and others whose images are redacted.
CNN has previously reported on a more heavily redacted version of the chart that did not include as many names and connections to Epstein as Bondi’s version.
Bondi to Epstein survivors: "I am deeply sorry"
Attorney General Pam Bondi directly addressed Epstein survivors sitting behind her as she testified to Congress, telling them that she is “deeply sorry” for the abuse they suffered at the hands of “that monster.”
The Justice Department has for months been under fire over its handling of the so-called Epstein files, both for their resistance to produce every document that was part the investigation into accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and mistakes in redactions when those documents were ultimately released.
But the notion was challenged soon after, as Rep. Pramila Jayapal asked survivors in the room to stand up and raise their hand if they had not been able to meet with the department about the abuse they faced. Every victim who stood raised their hand, Jayapal said.
The interaction devolved when Jayapal asked Bondi to “apologize for what your Department of Justice has put them through,” citing mistakes in redactions that publicly released their information or picture.
Bondi attempted to push back on the notion, saying that Jayapal did not ask the same of her predecessor Merrick Garland, but the two continued to speak over each other.
Bondi said that she would not be thrown into “the gutter” for Jayapal’s ‘theatrics.’
Since her time as Florida Attorney General, Bondi has been outspoken about her support for victims of sex abuse - a matter that has now become a centerpiece of her tenure atop the Justice Department.
Bondi blames Democrats for Minnesota clashes
Attorney General Pam Bondi used part of her opening statements Wednesday to criticize Democratic leaders who did not support the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, blaming them for “avoidable clashes on the streets.”
“A few elected officials have declared that they are ‘at war with the federal government’ and encouraged widespread obstruction of law enforcement,” Bondi said.
The attorney general cited Minnesota, where protesters and law enforcement clashed for weeks following the shooting of two people by DHS officers.
CNN has reported that the Justice Department issued subpoenas to several state and local democratic lawmakers in Minnesota as part of an investigation into potential obstruction of federal law enforcement, saying that “citizens and law enforcement officers have both been endangered by reckless rhetoric” by those leaders.
The attorney general however lauded Democratic leaders in Washington, DC, and Memphis, Tennessee as working with the federal government to combat crime.
“Public Safety does not have a party registration,” she said. “When your constituents call 911, they don’t ask for political views of the responding officer. They ask for help.”
Raskin lambasts Justice Department over handling of immigration officer shootings
In his opening remarks, Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin lambasted the Justice Department for opening an investigation into the partner of Renee Good, the woman who was killed by a Department of Homeland Security officer in Minnesota last month.
“How sick is that?” Raskin said of the investigation as he highlighted the killings of other people by federal officers across the US amid the administration’s immigration crackdown.
Officials, including DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, have called Good a domestic terrorist.
Raskin continued, highlighting the politically focused efforts by the Justice Department to investigate Democratic officials, including the failed cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
“You’ve turned the people’s Department of Justice into Trump’s instrument of revenge,” Raskin said.
A judge dismissed the cases against James and Comey, finding that the US Attorney who brought the charges, Lindsey Halligan, did not have the authority to be appointed in the position without Senate approval.
Panel’s top Democrat acknowledges Epstein survivors seated behind Bondi
The committee’s top Democrat tore into Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday over her handling of the Epstein files as he acknowledged survivors of the late sex offender and their family members who are seated in the audience behind her.
“To promote justice for the people, you’ve got to listen to the victims, like the women seated behind you today,” Rep. Jamie Raskin said during his opening remarks. “Those are just some of the hundreds of survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s global sex trafficking ring who are demanding that the truth be told and are demanding accountability for the abusers who trafficked and raped them.”
He continued: “You still haven’t met with these survivors, so with their permission, let me introduce to you the survivors and late survivors’ family members who are present today: There’s Theresa Helm, there’s Jess Michaels, Lara Blume McGee, Dani Bensky, Liz Stein, Marina Lacerda, Sky and Amanda Roberts, who are the family of the late Virginia Giuffre, Sharlene Rochard and Lisa Phillips.”
The women did not stand up as Raskin introduced them, and Bondi did not appear to react as their names were called out one-by-one.
“As Attorney General, you’re siding with the perpetrators and you’re ignoring the victims,” the Maryland Democrat said. “That will be your legacy unless you act quickly to change course. You’re running a massive Epstein cover up right out of the Department of Justice.”
Several Epstein survivors will attend Bondi hearing
Jeffrey Epstein survivors and family members of Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre are expected to be seated in the hearing room when Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies in front of the House Judiciary Committee this morning, according to a committee source.
The group in the audience is expected to include Theresa Helm, Jess Michaels, Lara Blume McGee, Dani Bensky, Liz Stein, Marina Lacerda, Sky and Amanda Roberts, Sharlene Rochard, Rachel B., and Lisa Phillips, they said,
Epstein survivors have condemned what they consider the Justice Department’s incomplete release of the Epstein files, saying the process has lacked transparency and botched redactions.
Epstein survivors and Democrats speak out ahead of Bondi hearing
Democrats and Epstein survivors amp up pressure on Attorney General Pam Bondi to answer questions about the Epstein files.
“I intend to get real answers on why the DOJ is not pursuing further action and to get survivors the attention and the answers that they deserve,” Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal told reporters Wednesday.
“Pam. I have a clear and simple message for you. The way this administration, and you specifically have handled survivors, has been nothing short of a failure,” Sky Roberts, brother of Epstein survivor Virginia Guiffre said, “Pam Bondi and the Justice Department failed us repeatedly, across administrations, across political lines, across decades and the people who had the authority to intervene.”
Multiple survivors are expected to attend the hearing.
Survivor Jess Michaels had a message for Republican lawmakers: “Are you going to have courage, or are you going to be complicit?”
Michaels also suggested that GOP members give a minute of their allotted question time to Rep. Thomas Massie so he could ask further about the files.
Survivors strongly criticized the Justice Department for its handling of releasing and redacting the files, and the lack of investigations or follow-up on other people named in the files.
“Every credible allegation must be taken seriously and investigated thoroughly no matter who the person is, how wealthy they are or how well connected they are,” Epstein survivor Marina Lacerda said.
GOP Congresswoman Nancy Mace, who has been outspoken in her support of survivors spoke.
