WASHINGTON, DC — Minutes after House Oversight Democrats filed contempt charges, former Attorney General Pam Bondi agreed to appear before the committee on May 29th. The Not Above the Law coalition’s co-chairs – Lisa Gilbert, Co-President of Public Citizen; Praveen Fernandes, Vice President of the Constitutional Accountability Center; Kelsey Herbert, Campaign Director at MoveOn; and Brett Edkins, Managing Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Stand Up America – issued the following statement:
“Today’s announcement that Bondi will appear before the committee is a victory for congressional oversight, for survivors who’ve waited far too long for answers, and for the American public that has long demanded honest information. But this is only the beginning.
“When Bondi testifies on May 29th, she must finally answer the questions she’s spent months avoiding: what she knew, what was suppressed, and why the Justice Department failed Jeffrey Epstein’s survivors. We’re calling on her to honor that obligation by showing survivors the respect they deserve without attacking members, stonewalling, or repeating the evasions that defined her tenure.
“The American people are watching the shame spiral that this DOJ has entered. Bondi began it, Blanche is continuing it, and we deserve better.”
Here are a few questions the American people deserve answers to:
- Congress passed a bipartisan, legally binding deadline requiring the release of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents. Your DOJ blew past that deadline and released only a fraction of the required materials. What is your legal justification for defying a statutory mandate, what was withheld, and why?
- Reports indicate the DOJ surveilled Members of Congress while they were reviewing Epstein documents, closely monitoring their online activity. Did you authorize or know about this surveillance and how do you justify what appears to be a flagrant violation of the separation of powers?
- The names of powerful men and institutions that enabled Epstein’s trafficking network have still never been fully disclosed. Why did the DOJ under your leadership fail to pursue accountability for his co-conspirators and clients and what, if anything, was the White House’s role in limiting that disclosure?
- You testified under oath that “no one will be prosecuted or investigated because they are a political opponent.” The Justice Department then launched at least 19 investigations or prosecutions targeting Trump’s critics. How do you explain the direct contradiction between your sworn testimony and your actions as Attorney General?