Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Robert Garcia, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Rep. Summer Lee, Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement, demanded Attorney General Pam Bondi comply with the bipartisan House Oversight Committee subpoena, as the Department of Justice continues to illegally withhold Epstein files materials from Congress. The subpoena, issued in August, requires the release of the complete, unredacted files to the Committee, including material relevant to ongoing investigations.
"Attorney General Pam Bondi is continuing to support the White House’s cover-up of the Epstein files, defying a lawful Oversight Committee subpoena that makes it clear they must release all documents about Jeffrey Epstein to us immediately. Their refusal raises serious questions about the powerful men they’re protecting. We will not stop until there is full transparency and justice for the survivors," said Ranking Member Robert Garcia.
"Trump’s DOJ — with Pam Bondi at the helm — has broken the law and obstructed justice for months. If the DOJ continues to be unresponsive to our lawful subpoena, Bondi must be held in civil contempt of Congress. Survivors of Epstein and his co-conspirators deserve better, and we will pursue accountability on their behalf," said Congresswoman Summer Lee.
The Department of Justice continues to violate the Oversight Committee subpoena and the Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA). The Epstein Files Transparency Act is an Act of Congress that mandates the release of the Epstein files to the public, but prevents the release of files pertaining to an “active investigation.” The Department of Justice has only released 3 million documents out of the total 6 million documents collected by the Department pertaining to Jeffrey Epstein. The Oversight Committee subpoena mandates the release of the Epstein files, and does not prevent the release of “active investigation” files. In January, Oversight Democrats forced a vote on holding Attorney General Bondi in contempt for her refusal to comply with the Oversight Committee’s bipartisan subpoena, which was blocked by Oversight Republicans.
In the letter, Ranking Member Garcia and Congresswoman Lee wrote, “DOJ’s justifications for its withholdings and redactions are based largely on a provision in the EFTA that permits DOJ to withhold information relevant to ongoing investigations, as well as the Department’s withholdings outside of those allowed in the law for “deliberative process” privilege. However, neither is a valid basis for refusing to release documents or information pursuant to the Committee’s subpoena. Further, politically motivated investigations designed to target political opponents—including the Epstein-related investigations of prominent Democrats initiated at President Trump’s instruction—are not a legitimate basis for withholding or redacting records under the EFTA or the Committee’s subpoena.”
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