• What Happened: The House Oversight Committee voted 24-19 Wednesday to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi for closed-door testimony on the DOJ's handling of the Epstein files, with five Republicans breaking ranks to pass the motion.
  • Why It Matters: Committee investigators believe the DOJ has released only about half of the Epstein files in its possession, the rollout exposed victim identities and nude photographs in violation of the Epstein Transparency Act, and tens of thousands of additional files remain "offline" for redaction.
  • Bottom Line: Bondi offered members a private briefing. They said no and issued a subpoena instead.

The House Oversight Committee voted Wednesday to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi, demanding she appear for closed-door testimony on the Department of Justice's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. The vote was 24-19, with five Republicans crossing the aisle to make it happen.

Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina forced the vote and was joined by Reps. Lauren Boebert, Tim Burchett, Michael Cloud, and Scott Perry. All five have been among the loudest Republican voices demanding full transparency on the Epstein files.

The subpoena is the latest escalation in a months-long standoff between Congress and the DOJ over compliance with the Epstein Transparency Act, which Trump signed into law last November requiring the public release of all investigative files related to Epstein's sex trafficking network. Since the first document release in December, critics from both parties have accused the administration of fumbling the rollout. Committee investigators estimate the DOJ has released only about half the files in its custody, and tens of thousands of additional documents remain "offline" pending redaction. The releases that did go public exposed victim identities and nude photographs, in direct violation of the law's privacy protections.

Bondi has defended the DOJ's handling throughout, telling the House Judiciary Committee last month that more than 500 attorneys spent thousands of hours reviewing millions of pages to comply with the law. She accused Democrats of using the Epstein furor to distract from Trump's successes, even as members of her own party led the charge against her.

Ahead of Wednesday's vote, Oversight Chairman James Comer informed the committee that Bondi had offered a private briefing on the documents' status. That offer went nowhere.

"AG Bondi claims the DOJ has released all of the Epstein files. The record is clear: they have not," Mace posted on X after the vote.

She was sharper with reporters. "I need to get to the bottom of this for other survivors of Jeffrey Epstein," Mace said. "I don't expect to be talking about the stock market, so she better not bring those notes when she comes to the Oversight Committee" — a direct shot at Bondi's contentious February Judiciary hearing, where she pivoted to market performance under Trump when pressed on Epstein.

No date has been set for Bondi's deposition. The subpoena calls for closed-door testimony with video to be released publicly afterward.