Republican Calls For Pam Bondi to Testify About Epstein Files

Republican Representative Warren Davidson of Ohio said he’d like to see Attorney General Pam Bondi answer questions regarding the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) handling of the investigation against deceased sexual offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Newsweek reached out to the DOJ via online form Monday night for comment.

Why It Matters

The Epstein case remains a focal point of public and political attention due to longstanding questions about accountability, possible accomplices, and the adequacy of prior investigations.

Fluctuating responses from Trump administration officials and new calls from Republican lawmakers, along with similar demands from Democrats, have highlighted the challenge of meeting transparency demands while observing legal constraints on classified and sealed records. The issue also touches on broader concerns regarding the handling of sensitive evidence, victims’ privacy, and high-profile connections.

In a memo earlier this month, the DOJ and FBI stated that there is no evidence of a so-called “client list” or attempts by Epstein to blackmail public figures, and that Epstein’s death by suicide was confirmed in government inquiries. Bondi, in a previous Fox News appearance, said she intended to review Epstein material, but later clarified she was speaking generally about case documents on her desk.

What To Know

When asked on Monday if he would want to hear Bondi testify, Davidson said to CNN’s Manu Raju, “Yeah. I mean I’m not on that committee, but you know I really would like the committee of jurisdiction to bring her in and say, you know hey, you start this off, you’ve got binders. Please explain.”

Davidson added, “You know, we’re led to believe there are going to be some prosecutions. If we’re going to prosecute, we assume there’s going to be convictions. And I think that’s really the disconnect.”

President Donald Trump announced over the weekend that he asked the DOJ to release all of the grand jury testimony related to the Epstein case saying on Truth Social: “I have asked the Justice Department to release all Grand Jury testimony with respect to Jeffrey Epstein, subject only to Court Approval. With that being said, and even if the Court gave its full and unwavering approval, nothing will be good enough for the troublemakers and radical left lunatics making the request. It will always be more, more, more. MAGA!”

A recent Atlas Intel poll of 1,935 Americans conducted amid the heat of the recent Epstein controversy, between July 13 and 18, found that Bondi’s approval rating has dropped significantly since she was confirmed in February.

Previous polling by Atlas Intel showed Bondi with a 49 percent approval rating during her first month in office, surpassing the 43 percent of respondents who viewed her unfavorably.

The new poll, which asked participants if they had a positive or negative view of Bondi, found 29 percent have a positive image of her. About 36 percent of the participants identify as Republican, 37 percent as independent, and 27 percent as Democrat. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

What People Are Saying

Conservative commentator Laura Loomer, who has called for Bondi’s resignation, said during a livestream last week: “Pam Bondi is a coward. She didn’t even sign her name to the memo. This isn’t transparency—it’s a cover-up.”

Representative Daniel Goldman, a New York Democrat and attorney, wrote in a Thursday X post: “Nice try @AGPamBondi. What about videos, photographs and other recordings? What about FBI 302’s (witness interviews)? What about texts and emails? That’s where the evidence about Trump and others will be. Grand jury testimony will only relate to Epstein and Maxwell.”

Conservative commentator Megyn Kelley wrote in a July 12 X post: “I’m sure it’s a relief for Pam Bondi to hear the president is still in her corner. Unfortunately, huge swaths of the party are not. She repeatedly misled on Epstein. Then didn’t have the courage to explain herself. Suddenly, she’s camera shy & no Qs allowed. Good luck!”

Senator Bernie Sanders, a Vermont Democrat, released a video statement on the Epstein files controversy on Monday, saying in part: “Let me be frank, I have no idea what is in the Epstein files. Who is in the Epstein files, or whether or not these files actually even exist, but this I do know. Jeffrey Epstein was an extremely wealthy guy who hung out with some of the wealthiest and most powerful people in our country and the world. Including Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew. Multiple billionaires and Donald Trump.”

He continued: “And this I also know, during his presidential campaign, Donald Trump said very clearly that he would release the Epstein files. My response, Mr. President, do it, do what you promised the American people you would do and stop trying to deflect attention away from what you promised. Be transparent. The way you promised you would be, tell the truth like you promised. Because hiding whatever he’s hiding with the Epstein files is not the first time to say the least that he has lied to the American people.”