WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former Attorney General Pam Bondi will appear before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on May 29 to answer questions about the Justice Department's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and the release of the Epstein files. The testimony will be given in a closed-door deposition.

The committee announcement followed a civil contempt resolution filed by Democrats on the panel against Bondi for failing to appear at her subpoenaed deposition earlier in the month. Republicans on the committee described the contempt effort as theater and unnecessary.

The committee approved a motion on March 4 to subpoena Bondi for testimony related to the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein files, with five Republicans joining all Democrats in voting for the subpoena.

Bondi was initially set to appear on April 14, but the Justice Department informed the committee that she would not appear after President Donald Trump removed her from office. In a letter to Representative James Comer, Assistant Attorney General Patrick Davis argued that because the subpoena had been issued to Bondi in her official capacity as attorney general and she no longer held that office, she was not obligated to appear.

Representative Robert Garcia rejected that reasoning. "Bondi has illegally defied our committee, skipped her deposition, and has refused to cooperate," he said. Garcia also said, "Bondi has extensive personal knowledge about the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files, and regardless of her job title, her testimony and cooperation are crucial." Responding to the scheduling of the deposition, he said, "Clearly we're being effective."

Congress approved the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November, requiring the release of Justice Department records related to federal investigations into Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Last year, Representatives Thomas Massie and others led efforts in Congress to pass the law. The Justice Department did not meet the act's December 19 deadline and instead released what it described as the full files on January 31, totaling roughly 3 million pages, or about half of the files related to the investigation. Survivors of Epstein's abuse raised concerns that sensitive personal information was improperly disclosed in the released files, and several lawmakers criticized redactions in the documents. The Justice Department maintained that it acted in accordance with the law when releasing the files.