All Eyes on Bondi
Pam Bondi oversaw DOJ’s review of the investigation into Epstein, and there are still big questions to answer.
This morning, former Attorney General Pam Bondi is scheduled to appear before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Members of Congress should have the opportunity to ask her questions about her handling of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) review of the investigative files related to Jeffrey Epstein.
During that review, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) staff were reportedly told to flag mentions of Trump in the documents. Trump’s name was in the files more than 1,000 times, so lawmakers – and the public – want answers.
We know what we want to hear: What instructions were staff given when reviewing the files, by who, and why? Did Bondi tell staff to flag mentions of Trump? Did any other government official try to shield the president from scrutiny in any way?
Today’s interview is a perfect opportunity for Oversight Committee members to press Bondi to explain.
We’re also suing the Trump administration to learn more
We have been fighting for nearly a year to get the government to release the instructions and training materials given to DOJ and FBI staff during their review of the Epstein files, so that we can know if staff were told to give anyone – including Trump – special treatment.
This week, we filed our second lawsuit in this fight. We are seeking records that would show how senior DOJ and FBI officials managed the review and release process after Congress enacted the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which barred the government from shielding anyone during the review. If staff were told to flag records that mention Trump after the law was in place, we need to know.
Plus, a warning for DOJ
Late last week, news broke that DOJ removed press releases detailing the charges against hundreds of Jan. 6 insurrectionists from its website. Permanently erasing these records would violate the Federal Records Act (FRA), so we sent a letter to DOJ reminding them of their obligation under the law.
Since the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, we have launched public records investigations and filed multiple suits to uncover how the Trump administration and others responded to — and, in some cases, enabled — efforts to overturn the 2020 election. That work has helped preserve a public record of the attack and the coordinated attempts to subvert the election, even as political efforts to whitewash or rewrite those events have intensified.
As accountability for the attack has been distorted and undermined, maintaining a clear record of events – and transparency into how senior officials are handling the aftermath – has become even more urgent.
American Oversight in the news
- Cover-up? Watchdog Groups Want Answers After Navy Drops “Ongoing Investigation” Bombshell (Tampa Free Press)
Other stories we’re following
- Justice Department launches a criminal investigation into Trump accuser E. Jean Carroll (CNN)
- It’s not just kids: Trump’s crackdown on trans healthcare extends into adulthood (NBC News)
- ICE is spending millions of dollars on iris scanners, expanding its arsenal of tech tools (NPR)
- ICE detainees are dying by suicide at an ‘alarming’ rate, an AP investigation finds (Associated Press)
- Travel industry worries after Trump administration reiterates threat to ‘sanctuary city’ airports (Los Angeles Times)