Bondi invoked privilege, declined to answer questions about interactions with Trump about Epstein files

Former Lawyer Common Pam Bondi declined to reply questions on President Donald Trump’s function within the Justice Division’s launch of information associated to convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein, invoking privilege throughout her interview with the Home Oversight Committee.

Bondi declined to reply if Trump directed her or any DOJ officers to take actions associated to the information — although she acknowledged that he ordered an investigation into outstanding Democrats — and refused to handle reports that she knowledgeable Trump that his title appeared a number of instances within the information in Could, earlier than Congress handed a legislation requiring their launch final November.

“I will not focus on any conversations that I had or didn’t have with the president of the USA,” Bondi stated, in line with a transcript of her Could 29 testimony, launched by the committee on Thursday.

Through the roughly 4-hour interview, Bondi was accompanied by Assistant Lawyer Common Harmeet Dhillon, who rebuffed related questions.

“You are not going to get solutions on these points,” stated Dhillon, who stated she was current within the interview to “signify the pursuits of the DOJ.”

Bondi Defends DOJ’s dealing with of Epstein information, however distances herself

Bondi typically defended the DOJ’s dealing with of the information — saying she was “happy with the Division’s report and dedication to transparency” — whereas distancing herself from the day-to-day administration of the discharge of the information.

Bondi stated then-deputy Lawyer Common Todd Blanche “was main the Epstein matter and the discharge of all the pieces from the start,” in line with the transcript.

After Bondi’s ouster as legal professional basic, Trump named Blanche to function the appearing head of DOJ and announced plans to appoint him to the publish completely.

Following the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Bondi stated that Blanche oversaw recruiting the attorneys who reviewed the information for launch and permitted the method for redactions. She additionally stated she was not concerned within the drafting and launch of a joint FBI-DOJ memo final July that stated the assessment of information “revealed no incriminating ‘shopper record'” and that the DOJ believed “no additional disclosure [of files] could be applicable or warranted.”

Bondi instructed lawmakers: “I didn’t have a job in issuing this assertion. I consider this was achieved by Deputy Lawyer Common Blanche together with the FBI, I consider.”

After Rep. Robert Garcia instructed reporters exterior the room the place the interview was happening that Bondi was “blaming” Blanche for the controversial dealing with of the Epstein information, she defended her former deputy and stated he “did a superb job” managing the discharge of information.

“Todd Blanche is among the most extremely moral people I do know, and I believe he’s making an unbelievable Performing Lawyer Common. And he managed this investigation — and it was a Herculean activity — with little or no error,” she stated.

Bondi acknowledged errors releasing sufferer identities

Bondi acknowledged that the DOJ improperly launched some paperwork that included the names and figuring out data of victims, although she argued that her workplace rapidly tried to handle the errors.

“I had grave issues about victims’ names being launched due to the amount of paperwork within the timeframe during which these paperwork needed to be launched, and I consider most individuals in my workplace shared those self same issues,” she stated, in line with the transcript. “I recall when a sufferer’s title — everybody was upset when the sufferer’s title bought launched inadvertently.”

Bondi says she’s unsure if anybody is below investigation for ties to Epstein

She additionally defended the DOJ’s withholding of some paperwork associated to accusations regarding Trump, which he has repeatedly denied.

Bondi stated these paperwork had been mistakenly recognized as duplicative. Requested about different allegations towards Trump — which the DOJ beforehand described as “sensationalist” and “unfaithful” — she added that the DOJ probably didn’t examine these allegations as a result of they pre-dated the Trump administration.

“I do not consider they had been investigated by any Division of Justice, and that may be a query for the Biden administration as a result of, if I recall, all of it was simply earlier than the 2020 election, the salacious allegations,” she stated.

Bondi additionally deferred questions on any potential ongoing investigations associated to Epstein to present DOJ management, declining to reply if any of the high-profile names included within the Epstein information had been topic to investigations. Blanche earlier this yr stated the DOJ was not investigating Epstein or his associates.

Particularly requested about allegations involving Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Bondi stated: “I’m not positive if he is topic of a pending investigation. I am unsure who’s or who shouldn’t be topic of an investigation.”

The youthful brother of King Charles III has denied wrongdoing.

Bondi addresses early blunders associated to Epstein information

Whereas the interview supplied few new particulars about Epstein’s crimes and the DOJ’s investigations, Bondi did present some context for the DOJ’s dealing with of the information final yr.

Requested about her assertion to Fox Information that Epstein’s shopper record was on her desk for assessment, Bondi stated these feedback had been misconstrued and that she was referring to a broader set of information, together with paperwork associated to President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.

“I meant the information to assessment. I had not reviewed them at the moment, and I made that clear,” she stated, in line with the transcript.

Requested in regards to the White Home’s choice to offer laborious copies of the “first section” of the Epstein information to a bunch of conservative influencers, Bondi downplayed the transfer, which was mocked on-line after it turned clear that almost all of the information had been already public.

“We had been seeing them that day; they had been within the White Home, and we handed them the binders. After which it was launched to most people as properly.”

Bondi says Maxwell ought to die in jail

Bondi additionally addressed the DOJ’s controversial choice to interview Epstein’s co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell. She instructed lawmakers that Blanche believed the DOJ ought to have made extra of an effort to talk together with her in case she had proof of attainable co-conspirators.

“I do not need to speculate, however I consider Deputy Lawyer Common Blanche, at the moment, reached out to them as a result of there was somebody, nonetheless dwelling in jail, who had potential details about different co-conspirators and crimes,” she stated.

She denied that Maxwell was transferred to a cushier jail after the interview to reward her, suggesting she could have been moved due to threats she doubtlessly confronted.

“If any defendant at any stage is getting threats, it’s normal to maneuver folks throughout the jail system. That is why it wasn’t that uncommon to me,” she stated.

When requested about whether or not she believes Maxwell must be pardoned, Bondi stated that “she ought to die in jail.”

“She was a monster, identical to Jeffrey Epstein. She recruited these younger ladies to a lifetime of prostitution and abuse. And I usually assume the ladies that do which are simply as unhealthy, if not worse, than the boys, as a result of she participated in it,” she stated.