By Hadiza Galadima
The United state parliamentary Judiciary Committee grilled Attorney General Pam Bondi over the Justice Department’s (DOJ) handling of the Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA).
Lawmakers accused the DOJ of failing to meet the legal requirements for transparency regarding the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Ranking Democrat Jamie Raskin accused the DOJ of a “massive cover up,” claiming the department redacted the names of powerful enablers and co-conspirators including politicians and business tycoons to spare them “embarrassment,” which the law explicitly forbids.
Conversely, Raskin noted that while powerful figures were shielded, the DOJ “shockingly failed” to redact several names of the victims.
AG Bondi defended the department’s work, stating that over 500 attorneys reviewed millions of pages to meet the strict 30-day deadline. She noted that 3 million pages and 180,000 images have already been released.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed in November after significant bipartisan pressure, mandated the release of all DOJ documents related to Epstein.
While it required protecting victim identities, it barred the redaction of public figures or government officials based on “political sensitivity” or “reputational harm.”
