Justice Department Blasts 'Unnecessary' Subpoena of Attorney General Pam Bondi Over Epstein Investigation 'Mismanagement'
The Justice Department blasted the subpoena targeting Attorney General Pam Bondi as 'unnecessary.'
March 17 2026, Published 3:43 p.m. ET
The Justice Department is firing back after the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed Attorney General Pam Bondi over its probe into Jeffrey Epstein, blasting the move as "unnecessary," RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Chairman James Comer confirmed Bondi has been ordered to testify over what he described as "possible mismanagement" tied to both Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
Lawmakers Question DOJ's Handling of Epstein Case
Lawmakers are demanding answers over what they call 'possible mismanagement' in the Epstein case.
Bondi has been ordered to appear on April 14. In a letter accompanying the subpoena, Comer made clear the panel is zeroing in on how the Justice Department conducted its investigation and whether it followed transparency requirements.
"The Committee has questions regarding the Department of Justice's handling of the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and his associates and its compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act," he wrote, per Fox News.
He also stressed that Bondi is "directly responsible" for overseeing both the internal review process and the release of Epstein-related records.
Closed-Door Briefing Offered
Bondi has been ordered to testify in a deposition.
While the subpoena escalates tensions, Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche have proposed an alternative: a private briefing with committee members scheduled for Wednesday.
It's unclear whether lawmakers will accept that offer in place of sworn testimony, as pressure continues to mount over the department's pace in releasing documents tied to the Epstein case.
The committee also signaled its investigation may extend beyond fact-finding, with potential legislative reforms on the table.
Lawmakers are weighing changes to strengthen anti-trafficking enforcement and reconsider how plea deals and non-prosecution agreements are used in sex crime cases.
Jeffrey Epstein Victims 'Deserve Justice'
James Comer said the committee is examining how the DOJ handled the Epstein files.
This comes after Representative Nancy Mace insisted that the "victims of this horrific global network deserve justice" in early March.
Mace said that Bondi "claims the DOJ has released all of the Epstein files," but "they have not," which is something she alleged "the record is clear" on.
"The Epstein case is one of the greatest cover-ups in American history," Mace added. "His global sex trafficking network is larger than what is being revealed."
"Three million documents have been released, and we still don't have the full truth," she continued. "Videos are missing. Audio is missing. Logs are missing. There are millions more documents out there."
Mace also said they "want to know why the DOJ is more focused on shielding the powerful than delivering justice."
Pam Bondi Moves to a Military Base
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Bondi has been ordered to appear on April 14.
As threats from cartels and anger surrounding the Epstein files continue, Bondi recently moved to a military base due to fears for her safety.
She is the latest member of the Donald Trump administration to move to a military facility. Other people include Stephen Miller, Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio, as well as ex-Homeland Security Chief Kristi Noem.
