Congressional investigators from both parties are refusing to let Pam Bondi's firing as attorney general stop them from forcing her testimony about her handling of the Epstein files.
Members of the House Oversight Committee vowed Thursday to pursue the subpoena against the ousted official, signaling that her removal from office does not shield her from accountability.
The push comes after questions about how Bondi managed the Justice Department's release of documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Even some Republicans have criticized her record on the matter.
Rep. Nancy Mace, the South Carolina Republican who engineered the subpoena vote last month, broke ranks with the administration. She said Bondi "handled the Epstein Files in a terrible manner and seriously undermined President Trump."
Mace emphasized that her subpoena remains in effect regardless of Bondi's status. "I did it by name, not as the sitting Attorney General," she told Axios, making clear the legal obligation follows Bondi personally.
Democratic members of the panel were more forceful. Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the panel's top Democrat, declared that Bondi "will not escape accountability and remains legally obligated to appear before our Committee under oath."
Other Democrats, including Reps. Maxwell Frost of Florida, Suhas Subramanyam of Virginia, and Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, issued similar statements. Rep. Ro Khanna of California went further, saying Bondi must answer questions about remaining documents, the lack of new prosecutions, and what he characterized as her participation in a cover-up.
The committee chair's office took a different tone. A spokesperson for Rep. James Comer, the Kentucky Republican who opposed the subpoena, said the chairman would consult with fellow Republicans and the Justice Department about next steps, without committing to enforce the subpoena.
Bondi was scheduled to sit for a deposition on April 14 under the subpoena's terms. It remains unclear whether that date will hold or what enforcement mechanisms Democrats might pursue if the new attorney general's office resists compliance.
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