USA Today: Congress Must Act to Stop Pam Bondi's Epstein Cover-Up

A USA Today opinion column published Sunday called on Congress to act in response to Attorney General Pam Bondi’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein-related files.¹

The opinion piece, headlined “It’s up to Congress to disrupt Pam Bondi’s Epstein cover-up,” framed congressional intervention as necessary to address the Justice Department’s management of Epstein documents.¹

The column appeared as the Department of Justice faces mounting scrutiny over withheld Epstein records. Earlier this month, the DOJ confirmed it had removed approximately 47,000 files from a planned document release, including materials containing allegations against former President Donald Trump.²

Congressional Subpoenas Multiply

The House Oversight Committee issued subpoenas to Bill Gates and Kathryn Ruemmler on March 4 as part of its probe into Epstein connections. Ruemmler is a former White House counsel who later worked for Goldman Sachs.³

A bipartisan House vote compelled testimony from the Attorney General regarding the management and withholding of Epstein-related documents.⁴

Bondi herself was subpoenaed to testify about her handling of the Epstein case on March 5.⁵

Document Release Commitments

The DOJ committed to releasing more than 47,000 additional Epstein files by the end of this week, according to statements made earlier this month.⁶

The Epstein Transparency Act, which passed Congress and was signed into law, mandates the release of government records related to Epstein’s activities and connections. The FBI began its formal review of Epstein-related records under the new law following its enactment.⁷

Recent document releases have revealed new details about Epstein’s international connections. Files disclosed Sydney connections and a secret FBI trip, according to reporting by The Guardian.⁸ Bloomberg reported that a Drug Enforcement Administration probe examined ketamine distribution and activities linked to Epstein.⁹

A DOJ memo released earlier this month indicated that prosecutors noted credibility considerations regarding Epstein accusers during various investigative phases.¹⁰

Epstein died in federal custody in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted in December 2021 of sex trafficking and conspiracy charges and is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence.¹¹

References

1. USA Today — “It’s up to Congress to disrupt Pam Bondi’s Epstein cover-up | Opinion”
2. DOJ Confirms 47,000 Epstein Files Removed
3. House Panel Subpoenas Bill Gates, Kathryn Ruemmler
4. Bipartisan Vote Forces Attorney General to Testify
5. Pam Bondi Subpoenaed to Testify on Epstein Case
6. DOJ to Release Nearly 50,000 More Epstein Files
7. Epstein Transparency Act Signed Into Law
8. Guardian: Epstein Files Reveal Sydney Connections
9. Bloomberg: Secret DEA Probe Examined Epstein
10. DOJ Memo: Epstein Accusers Had Credibility Issues
11. Ghislaine Maxwell: Epstein’s Key Associate Explained