Bondi, reportedly ousted due to her botched handling of Epstein files, is still set to testify before Congress on 14 April
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As news emerged this week presagingDonald Trump’s dismissal ofPam Bondi, one of his motivations reportedly related to herhandlingof theJeffrey Epsteininvestigative files.
While the new acting attorney general, Todd Blanche,insistedhe had “never” heard the president say “that anything that happened to her had anything to do with the Epstein files”, it’s clear the issue has dogged Bondi throughout her tumultuous tenure.
Indeed, Trump had repeatedly vowed his administration would release all Epstein documents – a promise that served as political manna for conspiracy-minded members of his rightmost base. Many ultra-conservative Trump supporters believe that Epstein’s abuse of teen girls was part of a sprawling sex-trafficking network of the global elite.
Epstein counted numerous rich and powerful men as associates, including Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and, at one point, Trump. The president, who ended his friendship with Epstein in 2004 before the late sex trafficker’s sex offense conviction, has maintained that he did not engage in any wrongdoing related to him or in general. The former Prince Andrew has denied wrongdoing.
The full Epstein dossier was not released by Bondi, as promised, spurring consternation from survivors and Congress members – and presenting a political liability for Trump. Congress’s Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA), which Trump signed despite his complaints that the Epstein controversy was a hoax, did little to quell ongoing backlash.
Bondi’s justice department repeatedly missed the EFTA’s disclosure deadlines – and faced accusations that some documents were withheld. Survivors’ and Congress members’ calls for transparency and justice grew louder.
Then came a congressionalsubpoenarequiring that Bondi testify on 14 April, drawing still more attention to the handling of these files by Trump’s justice department. The president announced in a 2 April Truth Social post that Bondi was out as attorney general, praising her as a “Great American Patriot and a loyal friend” and saying “she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future”.
For some observers, Bondi’s ouster – which as of press time has not thwarted the subpoena – might seem like an opportunity for long-awaited accountability. Others, such as victim advocates and records experts, have voiced concern that Bondi is just one cog in a system that has failed survivors and subverted truth.
Spencer Kuvin, an attorney with Goldlaw who has represented numerous Epstein victims, is among them. Shortly before Bondi’s exit, Kuvin expressed skepticism about the efficacy of a subpoena, saying: “Given Attorney General Pam Bondi’s well-documented history of combative and evasive exchanges with Congress, there is little reason to expect that this subpoena will suddenly produce transparency.
“If past is prologue, we are more likely to see deflection than disclosure. That is deeply troubling, because the public – and more importantly, the victims – deserve straightforward answers about how and why the Epstein files have been handled the way they have,” he added. “At this point, confidence in a candid and complete accounting is, unfortunately, very low.”
After Bondi was booted, Kuvin continued to voice concern.
“This isn’t just about one official – it’s about a pattern of evasion. When the truth is delayed, deflected or buried, trust erodes. The public is still waiting for real accountability in the Epstein matter,” he said. “This moment underscores a larger problem: when those in power fail to be forthcoming with Congress and the American people, consequences eventually follow.”
Dr Ann Olivarius, founder of the law firm McAllister Olivarius and a longtime women’s rights attorney, said that before the firing that she had “no expectation of truth, accountability or remorse” during Bondi’s congressional testimony and that she “expects more defiance on her part”.
