The Republican-led House Oversight Committee voted Wednesday to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi for testimony about her role in the release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The motion to subpoena Bondi was introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and passed 24-19 with bipartisan support, CNN reported Wednesday.
Several Republicans joined Democrats in backing the move, including Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn.; Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas; Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo.; and Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., according to CNN.
Committee lawmakers said the subpoena is part of a congressional probe into how records tied to Epstein have been handled and released by the Justice Department.
Epstein, a wealthy financier who maintained connections with numerous political and business figures, died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.
Congress required the Justice Department to release records related to Epstein after passing the Epstein Files Transparency Act in late 2025. The law, signed by President Donald Trump, directs the attorney general to make the documents public.
The Justice Department subsequently released millions of pages of material in several waves, though the disclosures drew bipartisan criticism because many documents were heavily redacted and some lawmakers argued the releases appeared incomplete.
Reports indicated the government collected more than 6 million potentially relevant pages of records, while about 3.5 million pages were ultimately released, fueling disputes over whether the department had complied fully with the law.
Bondi has defended the department’s approach, arguing that legal restrictions involving ongoing investigations, privacy protections, attorney-client privilege, and the need to protect victims limited what could be disclosed publicly.
The controversy has repeatedly surfaced during congressional hearings, where Bondi faced pointed questioning from both Democrat and some Republican lawmakers over the handling and redaction of the Epstein records.
The issue has also touched Trump, who was socially acquainted with Epstein decades ago but has repeatedly denied any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein's criminal activities.
Trump has not been charged with wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, though the scandal has continued to shadow several public figures whose names appear in the documents.
Some critics of the administration have accused the Justice Department of attempting to shield the president and other prominent individuals from the fullest scrutiny by withholding or redacting portions of the files.
Supporters of Bondi and the administration counter that many of the limits on disclosure stem from longstanding legal protections and the need to avoid exposing victims or compromising investigative materials.
The Oversight Committee's subpoena vote now raises the prospect of a high-profile hearing in which Bondi could face further questioning from lawmakers about the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein records.
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