House Democrats Stage Walkout Over Bondi's Evasive Subpoena Answers
House Democrats dramatically walked out of a closed-door briefing with Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday, sharply criticizing what they described as her evasive responses to questions about a congressional subpoena. The confrontation centered on Bondi's refusal to commit to testifying under oath before the House Oversight Committee regarding the Justice Department's investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
"We Do Not Trust Her": Democrats Demand Bondi Testify Under Oath
During a press conference following the walkout, Representative Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) expressed the Democrats' frustration with Bondi's non-committal stance. "We asked her multiple times, 'Are you going to come and speak with us under oath?' She would not say yes," Frost stated emphatically. "We want her under oath because we do not trust her."
According to Democratic lawmakers present at the briefing, Bondi repeatedly declined to explicitly confirm her compliance with the subpoena issued by Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) on Tuesday. Instead, she maintained that she would "follow the law," a position she reiterated to reporters afterward, noting she had "made it crystal clear I will follow the law" during the session.
Democrats Decry "Fake Hearing" and Republican Conduct
Democrats also condemned the structure of the Wednesday briefing, which included Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, labeling it a "fake hearing" designed to avoid public scrutiny. Representative Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the ranking member on the panel, asserted, "This has been completely set up in a way that's been irresponsible. And quite frankly, we believe a way for the attorney general to get out of her answering questions under oath and to the public, which we will not accept."
The criticism extended to Comer's behavior during the closed-door session. Representative Summer Lee (D-Pa.) recounted asking the Republican chair whether he would compel Bondi to testify if she defied the subpoena and pursue contempt hearings. Lee claimed that rather than addressing her questions, Comer accused her of "bitching."
"Instead of answering as an adult, he said that I was 'bitching,' which is, again, something that would not be allowed if we were operating under the rules of this committee because engaging in personalities is actually something that we are not able to do," Lee explained, describing the briefing as a "farce." She added, "If C-SPAN and the public were there, I'd imagine that he would not act that way." Comer later confirmed these remarks to reporters.
Republican Response and Subpoena Uncertainty
In response, a spokesperson for House Oversight Republicans accused Democrats of orchestrating a "partisan stunt." The spokesperson stated, "This was clearly the Democrats' plan all along: to walk out of the briefing the DOJ offered to provide. Both Attorney General Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Blanche were answering substantive questions, and Attorney General Bondi stated she would follow the law regarding her subpoena. It's clear Democrats don't want answers or justice for survivors; they just want theatrics for their latest partisan stunt."
Comer indicated to reporters that he intends to proceed with the subpoena for Bondi but stopped short of committing to hold her in criminal contempt if she refuses to comply. "We'll have to talk about it as a committee," he said, leaving the potential consequences uncertain. A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the matter.
