A standoff is escalating on Capitol Hill after former Attorney General Pam Bondi declined to appear for a scheduled deposition tied to the congressional probe into Jeffrey Epstein.
According to Fox News, lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee confirmed Wednesday that Bondi will not testify on April 14, citing guidance from the Department of Justice.
āThe Department of Justice has stated Pam Bondi will not appear on April 14 for a deposition since she is no longer Attorney General and was subpoenaed in her capacity as Attorney General,ā a committee spokeswoman told Fox News Digital in a statement.
āThe Committee will contact Pam Bondiās personal counsel to discuss next steps regarding scheduling her deposition.ā
Despite her absence, the subpoena remains active, leaving open the possibility that Bondi could still be compelled to testify.
Democrats quickly rejected the DOJās reasoning. Rep. Robert Garcia argued that Bondi is attempting to sidestep accountability following her removal from office.
āNow that Pam Bondi has been fired, sheās trying to get out of her legal obligation to testify before the Oversight Committee about the Epstein files and the White House cover-up,ā Garcia said. āOur bipartisan subpoena is to Pam Bondi, whether she is the Attorney General or not.ā
President Donald Trump removed Bondi from her post last week after mounting bipartisan scrutiny over her handling of Epstein-related records.
Garcia warned that failure to comply could trigger contempt proceedings, a move that could eventually lead to criminal referralāthough enforcement would ultimately fall back to the Justice Department.
Current Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to weigh in on the dispute.
āWhat happens now that sheās the former attorney general and thereās the subpoena out there is, I think, Iāll leave to Chairman Comer and others to figure out. I donāt have an answer to that,ā he said.
The subpoena itself has been a source of tension within the committee. Chairman James Comer initially opposed the move, but five Republicans broke ranks to support itāReps. Nancy Mace, Lauren Boebert, Tim Burchett, Scott Perry, and Michael Cloud.
Mace later teamed up with Rep. Ro Khannaās leadership to reinforce Bondiās obligation to testify.
āBondiās removal as Attorney General doesnāt erase her obligation to testify,ā they wrote. āIf anything, it makes her sworn testimony even more critical. Congressās oversight doesnāt stop when an official leaves office.ā
āPam Bondi was subpoenaed by name, not by title,ā Mace added separately.
The committee has previously heard from other high-profile officials connected to Epstein, including former Attorney General Bill Barr and former Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, both of whom testified as part of the ongoing investigation.