Nancy Mace vows to hold Pam Bondi accountable for Epstein files debacle: ’She cannot escape’ - BERITAJA

Rep. Nancy Mace has vowed to compel erstwhile Attorney General Pam Bondi to attest earlier the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee complete the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein files, moreover aft Bondi was removed from agency by President Donald Trump.

“Pam Bondi cannot flight accountability simply because she nary longer holds the agency of Attorney General,” Mace’s agency said successful a statement. “Our mobility to lawsuit Pam Bondi, which was passed by the Oversight Committee, was for Bondi by name, not by title. She will still person to look earlier the Oversight Committee for a sworn deposition. The American group merit answers, and we expect her to look arsenic soon arsenic a caller day is set.”

Mace introduced the mobility to lawsuit Bondi. The committee voted successful pinch 5 Republicans joining Democrats to o.k. the subpoena. Those Republicans included Mace, Reps. Lauren Boebert, Scott Perry, Tim Burchett and Michael Cloud.

DOJ argues lawsuit is void aft Bondi’s firing

The Department of Justice told the Republican-led committee that Bondi would not look for her April 14 deposition, arguing she was subpoenaed successful her charismatic capacity.

Assistant Attorney General Patrick Davis wrote to Committee Chair James Comer that “Ms. Bondi nary longer holds that office. As a result, because Ms. Bondi nary longer could attest successful her charismatic capacity arsenic Attorney General, the Department’s position is that the lawsuit nary longer obligates her to appear.” The DOJ asked Comer to corroborate that the lawsuit is withdrawn.

A committee spokeswoman said the sheet will interaction Bondi’s individual counsel to talk adjacent steps.

Mace and Khanna nonstop associated missive to Comer

Mace and Rep. Ro Khanna urged Comer to reaffirm Bondi’s responsibility to testify. Mace introduced the lawsuit motion, while Khanna sponsored the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

Mace and Khanna wrote, “The removal of Pam Bondi arsenic Attorney General does not diminish the Committee’s morganatic oversight interests successful seeking her sworn grounds aliases the request for accountability and accusation about files withheld from the nationalist by the DOJ. On the contrary, it makes her sworn grounds moreover much important, particularly pinch respect to actions she took arsenic Attorney General, matters already nether investigation, and decisions made nether her leadership.”

The lawmakers besides pointed to the committee’s 2025 subpoenas of six erstwhile attorneys wide from some parties.

Democrats frighten contempt of Congress

Rep. Robert Garcia, the apical Democrat connected the committee, said Democrats would prosecute contempt of Congress if Bondi does not comply.

“Our bipartisan lawsuit is to Pam Bondi, whether she is the Attorney General aliases not. She must travel successful to attest immediately, and if she defies the subpoena, we will statesman contempt charges successful the Congress,” he said.

Garcia added, “Now that Pam Bondi has been fired, she’s trying to get retired of her ineligible responsibility to attest earlier the Oversight Committee about the Epstein files and the White House cover-up.”

Defying a legislature lawsuit is unlawful. The committee could ballot to mention the matter to the Justice Department for prosecution, though the afloat House must o.k. and the last determination would remainder pinch the Justice Department.

What the committee wants to know

Lawmakers want to mobility Bondi about a July 2025 memo successful which the Justice Department said nary further charges would beryllium revenge successful the Epstein probe and nary further accusation would beryllium released. They besides want answers connected the department’s nonaccomplishment to comply pinch a lawsuit for the files.

That nonaccomplishment contributed to the transition of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, co-authored by Khanna and Rep. Thomas Massie, requiring nationalist merchandise of the documents.

After the March 2026 vote, Mace said, “There’s complete 65,000 documents missing, and we cognize location are much than 2,000 videos that are retired there. They’re not giving Congress each the accusation aliases each the documents, and they’re obfuscating. And I’d for illustration to inquire questions about that successful our deposition.”

Lawmakers and survivors person besides accused the Justice Department of continuing to withhold files and failing to protect victims’ identities while redacting accusation about imaginable Epstein accomplices.