A heated exchange erupted on Capitol Hill this week as House Democrats escalated their pressure campaign over the release of documents tied to the late convicted child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, accusing Attorney General Pam Bondi of defying a congressional subpoena.
During a tense hearing, James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, pushed back against claims that Bondi has stonewalled Congress—even as Democrats demanded she be held in contempt.
Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) confronted Comer directly, asserting that Bondi violated a subpoena related to the Epstein file release and should face consequences “to remain fair and transparent.”
“Chairman, the attorney general, Pam Bondi, has violated the subpoena issued by this committee. We should be holding her in contempt to remain fair and to remain transparent”
The accusation centers on Democrats’ claim that, despite a congressional vote to release the Epstein files, thanks to President Trump, the administration failed to meet a December deadline for full disclosure.
While thousands of pages have been released, Democrats insist the production remains incomplete.
Comer rejected that narrative outright.
“In the beginning, you all complained the document dump didn’t have enough redactions and the second document dump had too many redactions,” Comer said. “They’re trying to get this, and I believe we will get those documents very soon. I have been assured we’re going to get those documents very soon.”
Ansari shot back, citing Bondi’s prior public statements asserting the documents were ready to be released and arguing that six months had passed since the subpoena was issued with “nothing produced.”
But Comer said:
“And nobody on our side is defending Pam Bondi. I can assure you, she is complying with — they have turned documents over. They have turned documents over and every time they do, you all complain about too many redactions, not enough redactions”
WATCH:
“Nobody on our side is defending Pam Bondi,” says Chairman @RepJamesComer.
Then she needs to be held in contempt for breaking the law by refusing to release the Epstein Files. Period. pic.twitter.com/ugdAHUxpVt
— Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (@RepYassAnsari) January 21, 2026
Related story:
