“Not going to discuss anything about that”: Bondi dodges Epstein questions in Senate hearing

Attorney General Pam Bondi faced off with a combative Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, fending off a series of tough questions about the Justice Department’s handling of the case against Jeffrey Epstein.

Senate Democrats pressed Bondi on her public statements surrounding the DOJ’s case files, particularly her claim that a “client list” of the alleged sex trafficker was on her desk and ready for review. Bondi and the White House have since walked back that declaration.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., asked Bondi directly whether any such list existed. The top DOJ official’s reply was oblique. She shared that internal DOJ memos “clearly point out that there was no client list,” but refused to elaborate further. Asked whether the department had flagged any references to former President Donald Trump in Epstein-related records, she flatly declined to answer.

“I am not going to discuss anything about that with you,” she said.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., challenged Bondi on Trump and Epstein’s relationship and asked again whether investigators had recovered any incriminating materials. Bondi again refused to answer, instead accusing Whitehouse of hypocrisy for accepting campaign donations from “one of Epstein’s closest confidants,” a reference to Democratic donor Reid Hoffman.

She refused to answer a follow-up question from the Whitehouse about possible photos of Trump and Epstein.

NOTABLE — Pam Bondi refuses to answer direct questions about if the FBI has incriminating photos of Trump with half-naked young women, but instead deflects from them by attacking Sen. Whitehouse pic.twitter.com/hNL3J7vN6N

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 7, 2025

Democrats weren’t alone in their criticisms of the DOJ’s handling of Epstein. Louisiana Republican John Kennedy asked Bondi whether the FBI planned to interview Howard Lutnick. The Trump Cabinet member was a former neighbor of Epstein and called him “the greatest blackmailer ever” in a recent interview with the New York Post. When Bondi shared that the DOJ had not spoken with Lutnick, Kennedy wondered why not.

“Don’t you think you ought to talk to him after this interview?” he said.

“If Howard Lutnick wants to speak to the FBI, and if Director [Kash] Patel wants to speak to Howard Lutnick, absolutely,” she said.

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Outside of Epstein, Democrats accused Bondi’s DOJ of being a running dog for Trump’s grievances. Bondi rejected that framing, saying that she was restoring fairness to the Justice Department and ending the “weaponization” that had taken place under President Joe Biden.

Bondi’s caginess on many questions led to a tense exchange with Sen. Adam Schiff. The California Democrat listed all the questions Bondi refused to answer about Epstein, her handling of DOJ personnel who worked on Jan. 6 cases and Trump’s acceptance of a gifted plane from Qatari officials. Bondi responded by calling Schiff a “failed lawyer” who didn’t understand “when someone can and cannot answer a question.”