Former US attorney general says her apparent successor oversaw Epstein files review

Former US Attorney General Pam Bondi told House investigators that her apparent successor oversaw the Justice Department’s review and release of the files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to a transcript released Thursday by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

“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,” Bondi said in her opening statement to the panel on May 29. Blanche-once President Donald Trump’s longtime personal lawyer-will also be nominated to be the next US attorney general, Trump said Thursday

According to the transcript, Bondi said that for the files’ release, Blanche was responsible for training reviewers and overseeing disclosures, adding that he “was in charge of the process and the entire release of the Epstein files.”

The revelation could mean additional scrutiny on Blanche from the Senate, which needs to confirm him. Democrats on the Oversight Committee said the testimony increases pressure for Blanche to appear before lawmakers and suggested they could seek a subpoena for his testimony.

In her testimony, Bondi also declined to discuss conversations with Trump over the Epstein files and referred questions about the Justice Department’s handling of the matter to Blanche and US Attorney Jay Clayton.

Bondi was fired on April 2.

The Justice Department’s release of the Epstein files, required under a law Congress passed last year, faced criticism from advocates for Epstein survivors and victims’ families. They said the release was far from complete, violating the law, and was overly redacted to protect the names of people accused of abusing underage girls, while illicitly including the names and photos of some of Epstein’s victims.

Epstein died in 2019 in New York jail cell.