Bondi said Todd Blanche handled the release of the DOJ's Epstein files.
Former Attorney General Pam Bondi declined to answer questions about President Donald Trump's role in the Justice Department's release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, invoking privilege during her interview with the House Oversight Committee.
Bondi declined to answer if Trump directed her or any DOJ officials to take actions related to the files -- though she acknowledged that he ordered an investigation into prominent Democrats -- and refused to addressreportsthat she informed Trump that his name appeared multiple times in the files in May,before Congress passed a law requiring their release last November.
"I won't discuss any conversations that I had or did not have with the president of the United States," Bondi said, according to a transcript of her May 29 testimony, released by the committee on Thursday.
During the roughly 4-hour interview, Bondi was accompanied by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who rebuffed similar questions.
"You're not going to get answers on those issues," said Dhillon, who said she was present in the interview to "represent the interests of the DOJ."
Bondi generally defended the DOJ's handling of the files -- saying she was "proud of the Department's record and commitment to transparency" -- while distancing herself from the day-to-day management of the release of the files.
Bondi said then-deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche "was leading the Epstein matter and the release of everything from the beginning," according to the transcript.
After Bondi's ouster as attorney general, Trump named Blanche to serve as the acting head of DOJ andannounced plansto nominate him to the post permanently.
Following the passage of theEpstein Files Transparency Act, Bondi said that Blanche oversaw recruiting the attorneys who reviewed the files for release and approved the process for redactions. She also said she was not involved in the drafting and release of a joint FBI-DOJ memo last July that said the review of files "revealed no incriminating 'client list'" and that the DOJ believed "no further disclosure [of files] would be appropriate or warranted."
Bondi told lawmakers: "I did not have a role in issuing this statement. I believe this was done by Deputy Attorney General Blanche in conjunction with the FBI, I believe."
After Rep. Robert Garcia told reporters outside the room where the interview was taking place that Bondi was "blaming" Blanche for the controversial handling of the Epstein files, she defended her former deputy and said he "did an excellent job" managing the release of files.
"Todd Blanche is one of the most highly ethical individuals I know, and I think he is making an incredible Acting Attorney General. And he managed this investigation -- and it was a Herculean task -- with very little error," she said.
Bondi acknowledged that the DOJ improperly released some documents that included the names and identifying information of victims, though she argued that her office quickly attempted to address the errors.
"I had grave concerns about victims' names being released because of the volume of documents in the timeframe in which those documents had to be released, and I believe most people in my office shared those same concerns," she said, according to the transcript. "I recall when a victim's name -- everyone was upset when the victim's name got released inadvertently."
