Two House Democrats are urging the Justice Department to appoint an independent investigator to examine whether Attorney General Pam Bondi misled lawmakers during sworn testimony about records connected to Donald Trump and the Epstein files.
In a letter addressed to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Representatives Ted Lieu and Dan Goldman accused Bondi of perjury, citing her February 11, 2026 appearance before the House Judiciary Committee. During that hearing, Bondi stated, “There is no evidence that Donald Trump has committed a crime.”
The lawmakers argue that materials later released by the Department of Justice conflict with that assertion. Their letter claims certain documents and internal records reference allegations involving Trump, though many of the claims remain unverified.
Tensions escalated earlier this month when Lieu confronted Bondi during a public session, presenting archival footage showing Trump at a social gathering with Jeffrey Epstein. Lieu questioned whether underaged women were present at the event. Bondi dismissed the line of inquiry, responding, “This is so ridiculous,” and reiterating, “There is no evidence that Donald Trump has committed a crime.”
Lieu countered by pointing to a document referencing statements from a limo driver. Additional records cited by the Democrats include a DOJ slideshow summarizing witness accounts, one of which described an alleged physical altercation. The documents themselves note that credibility assessments were disputed.
Lieu later intensified his criticism in media remarks, saying Bondi “should be prosecuted” and warning that failure to appoint a special counsel could raise concerns about impartiality.
The Justice Department rejected the allegations in public statements posted on X, writing: “First: these salaciously insane accusations are in the library- UNredacted. Second: they were found to have ZERO credibility. Ted Lieu is a disgrace, who pushes baseless accusations to further his political ambition. Do better, Ted.”
Separately, scrutiny has grown following reporting by NPR, which examined serial numbers tied to Epstein-related records. The outlet suggested certain files referencing Trump were temporarily unavailable. DOJ officials responded that the materials “was temporarily removed for victim redactions and was back up by Thursday,” emphasizing that no records were deleted.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee signaled they are conducting their own review. Ranking member Robert Garcia said, “Oversight Democrats can confirm that the DOJ appears to have illegally withheld FBI interviews with this survivor who accused President Trump of heinous crimes. Oversight Democrats will open a parallel investigation into this.”
DOJ strongly disputed that characterization, stating: “Oversight Democrats should stop misleading the public while manufacturing outrage from their radical anti-Trump base. The Justice Department has repeatedly said publicly AND directly to NPR prior to deadline – NOTHING has been deleted.”
Officials added that “ALL responsive documents have been produced unless a document falls within one of the following categories: duplicates, privileged, or part of an ongoing federal investigation.”
Also Read More: Peter Mandelson Arrested as Epstein Files Probe Widens
