8. April 2026

Bondi Will Be a No Show for Next Week's Scheduled Deposition on Epstein

WASHINGTON-- The Justice Department has indicated that former Attorney General Pam Bondi will not appear for a deposition scheduled next week before a House committee investigating the federal government’s handling of its Jeffrey Epstein investigations, according to a committee spokesperson.

Jessica Collins, a spokeswoman for the House Oversight Committee, said Wednesday that the department signaled Bondi would not sit for the April 14 deposition because she is no longer serving as attorney general and had been subpoenaed in her official capacity.

“Since she is no longer attorney general and was subpoenaed in her capacity as attorney general,” Collins said, the department does not expect her to appear as scheduled. She added that the committee plans to contact Bondi’s personal attorney to determine next steps and potentially arrange a new date for her testimony.

Bondi, who was removed from her post by President Donald Trump last week, has faced mounting scrutiny over the Justice Department’s handling of materials tied to Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges involving underage girls. The case has remained a focal point for lawmakers in both parties, particularly following the department’s release of millions of pages of records that contained errors and missed a congressionally mandated deadline.

The Republican-led Oversight Committee voted on a bipartisan basis last month to subpoena Bondi, underscoring the broad interest in examining how the department managed the so-called “Epstein files.” Lawmakers have raised concerns about transparency, accuracy and whether political considerations influenced the timing and scope of disclosures.

Bondi said in a social media post after her ouster on April 2 that she would spend the coming weeks “working tirelessly to transition the office.” In the interim, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has been elevated to lead the department in at least an acting capacity and is carrying out the duties of the nation’s top law enforcement official. As of Wednesday, however, the Justice Department’s website continued to list Bondi as attorney general.

Some lawmakers who supported the subpoena made clear they intend to press forward despite her departure from office. Rep. Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican who initiated the motion to compel Bondi’s testimony, said the obligation to appear does not vanish with her job title.

“Bondi cannot escape accountability simply because she no longer holds the office of Attorney General,” Mace said in a statement posted to social media. She added that the subpoena was issued to Bondi “by name, not by title,” and said the committee expects her to testify once a new date is established.

Democrats on the panel echoed that stance. Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the committee’s top Democrat, said he would push to enforce the subpoena and warned that failure to comply could result in contempt of Congress proceedings.

“Now that Pam Bondi has been fired, she’s trying to get out of her legal obligation to testify before the Oversight Committee about the Epstein files and the White House cover-up,” Garcia said in a statement.

The dispute sets up a potential legal and political clash over congressional subpoena power and the obligations of former executive branch officials. Committee Chairman James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, has already demonstrated a willingness to pursue high-profile testimony, having enforced subpoenas earlier this year involving former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton—among the most prominent former officials ever compelled to provide evidence before Congress.

It remains unclear when or whether Bondi will ultimately agree to testify, as the committee weighs its options and lawmakers signal little appetite for backing down in an investigation that continues to draw intense public and bipartisan attention.