Bondi says she delegated Epstein files release oversight to Blanche

Pam Bondi told House Oversight lawmakers that she delegated oversight of the Epstein-files release to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, a disclosure that sharpened questions about who in the Justice Department actually controlled the review and public release of the records. In a nearly four-hour closed-door interview on Thursday, May 29, 2026, Bondi said she did not lead every part of the effort herself, while defending the department’s handling of the files even as she acknowledged redaction errors.

Her testimony did not resolve the central dispute surrounding the Epstein Files Transparency Act: what was withheld, who approved the redactions and why the release generated fresh complaints from survivors and lawmakers. Bondi said the Justice Department had already released all documents required by the law. She also refused to answer questions about Donald Trump’s involvement in the handling of the files, leaving lawmakers with the same unresolved accountability questions that have followed the issue for months.

The interview came after the Justice Department said on February 15, 2026, that it had released all required files under the transparency act. Weeks earlier, on January 30, 2026, the department had announced a new document dump that included more than 3 million pages, more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. Even with those releases, the controversy did not fade. Critics focused on delays, censorship concerns and the publication of some survivors’ personal details, raising doubts about whether the department had protected victims while trying to answer public demands for transparency.

Bondi’s appearance also followed a standoff with the committee itself. The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed her in March 2026, and Democrats moved toward civil contempt after she initially skipped a scheduled appearance. By the time she sat for the closed-door interview, the politics around the Epstein files had become a test of internal discipline inside the administration, with Democrats arguing that Bondi had shifted responsibility to Blanche and others rather than explaining the chain of command.

Outside the hearing room, Epstein survivors urged lawmakers, including Committee Chair James Comer, to press Bondi on the files and on the handling of victim information. House Democrats have also sought testimony from Kash Patel and Todd Blanche, underscoring how the dispute now centers less on one document release than on who had authority, who signed off, and who still has not answered for the failures around Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and the public record.