Democrats Walk Out, Subpoena Bondi on Epstein

Less than an hour into the session, Democrats walked out, citing distrust and vowing to enforce a subpoena for Bondi's sworn deposition next month. Bondi, alongside Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, had aimed to address bipartisan frustration over the DOJ's handling of millions of Epstein-related documents.

While Bondi asserted she would "follow the law" and defended the department's transparency efforts, Republican Chairman James Comer accused Democrats of political grandstanding. However, five Republicans sided with Democrats in supporting the subpoena, highlighting bipartisan concerns over alleged file withholding and haphazard redactions.

The Justice Department maintains the subpoena is "unnecessary," offering access to unredacted files and denying any cover-up attempts involving high-profile figures like former President Donald Trump. This ongoing political and legal saga, stemming from the Epstein Files Transparency Act, continues to consume the agency, despite the release of over 3 million pages of documents, 2,000 videos, and 180,000 images.

The dispute underscores persistent questions about accountability and transparency surrounding the high-profile case.