Lawmaker Rips Pam Bondi in Scathing Opening: ‘You’re Running a Massive Epstein Cover-Up’; Massie: Bondi Defense in Hearing Was ‘Incompetence’

By Raw Story. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) Wednesday delivered a scathing opening statement and directly criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi, accusing her of deliberately blocking the investigation into late financier and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Raskin, a ranking member, was one of several lawmakers questioning Bondi during a House Judiciary Committee Hearing on Capitol Hill. In a fiery speech, he demanded answers from Bondi about the Epstein files and investigation, and recent Department of Justice actions — reminding her that her clients are the American people — not President Donald Trump.

“But to promote justice for the people, you’ve got to listen to the victims like the women seated behind you today,” Raskin said. “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 you still haven’t met with these survivors.” . . .

“Now, you’re not showing a lot of interest in the victims, madam attorney general, whether it’s Epstein’s human trafficking ring or the homicidal governmental violence against citizens in Minneapolis, as attorney general, you’re siding with the perpetrators and you’re ignoring the victims that will be your legacy unless you act quickly to change course,” Raskin said.

“You’re running a massive Epstein coverup right out of the Department of Justice,” Raskin said. “You’ve been ordered by subpoena and by Congress to turn over 6 million documents, photographs and videos in the Epstein files but you’ve turned over only 3 million.” (Read more from “Lawmaker Rips Pam Bondi in Scathing Opening: ‘You’re Running a Massive Epstein Cover-Up’” HERE)

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Massie: Bondi Defense in Hearing Was ‘Incompetence’

By The Hill. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) on Wednesday slammed Attorney General Pam Bondi’s defense of how the Department of Justice (DOJ) has handled the release of files tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrery Epstein.

“The recourse, and I keep reminding the folks at DOJ this, is that the next attorney general can bring charges against them for breaking the law,” Massie told reporters, after the attorney general’s combative testimony in front of the House Judiciary Committee.

“I think that’s what’s compelled them to produce 3 million documents. And now they’re claiming that it’s incompetence,” he added. “But [Bondi’s] defense today is incompetence for why they haven’t given us all the documents they should, why they have over-redacted in the case of co-conspirators and why they failed to redact the names of the victims.”

During the hearing, Bondi got into shouting matches with multiple Democratic lawmakers, who criticized the DOJ’s slow release of the Epstein files, particularly the redactions of numerous individuals and failures to conceal the names of victims.

At least 11 victims of Epstein were in the audience — with some wearing shirts referencing the redactions. When Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) asked the victims to raise their hands if they had not yet met with the DOJ, they each lifted a hand. (Read more from “>Massie: Bondi Defense in Hearing Was ‘Incompetence’” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr