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Pam Bondi’s 7 most explosive quotes from Epstein files hearing

David BenjaminFebruary 12, 2026

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 11: Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before the House Committee on the Judiciary during an oversight hearing, at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC on February 11, 2026. (Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images) — The long-running saga around Jeffrey Epstein and the US government’s handling of files on the investigation into the paedophile financier and his connections to the elite roared back into focus this week. US attorney general Pam Bondi faced a bruising session before the House Judiciary Committee as US lawmakers grilled her over the Justice Department’s release of millions of pages linked to Epstein, the disgraced billionaire who died by reported suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while he awaited trial for trafficking underage girls. A new transparency law required all files to be published, with victims protected and only limited redactions allowed. (Picture: Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein raise their hands after U.S. Representative Dan Goldman (D-NY) asked who of them has been unable to meet with the U.S. Department of Justice led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, as Bondi attends a House Judiciary Committee hearing on oversight of the Justice Department to testify, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 11, 2026. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura REFILE- CORRECTING ID FROM "U.S. REPRESENTATIVE PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-WA)" TO "U.S. REPRESENTATIVE DAN GOLDMAN (D-NY)". — The hearing quickly turned rather fiery. Democrats accused Bondi’s department of mishandling the release and of shielding selected powerful figures. At one point Texas representative Jasmine Crockett stormed out of the hearing after branding the situation ‘a big cover-up’ and attacking Bondi directly. Survivors of Epstein were present in the room throughout. Bondi didn’t apologise, though. She did, however, fire back at her questioners repeatedly. Here are the seven of her most astonishing quotes from a session that quickly spiralled from legal scrutiny into all-out political warfare… (Picture: REUTERS)

‘I’m not going to get in the gutter with this woman. She’s doing theatrics.’

US Attorney General Pam Bondi is sworn-in as she testifies before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on "Oversight of the Department of Justice" on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on February 11, 2026. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP via Getty Images) — This stinging line came after Washington representative Pramila Jayapal pressed the Attorney General to turn around in her seat and apologise directly to Jeffrey Epstein’s survivors who were seated in the room. Bondi refused to pivot in her chair. Critics said it showed a lack of empathy on Bondi’s part. Supporters argued that she was merely pushing back against what she saw as political staging rather than a hearing with any real substance. (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)

‘You’re a washed-up loser lawyer… You’re not even a lawyer!’

Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) — Her clash with Maryland’s Jamie Raskin was even more explosive. Raskin had tried to stop Bondi using lengthy answers in order to eat into members’ five minute question slots. When he said that he’d warned her earlier, Bondi shot back: ‘You don’t tell me anything.’ She then delivered the insult that echoed around the chamber. Gasps from plenty in the room immediately followed. (Picture: AP)

‘I find it interesting that she keeps going after President Trump, the greatest president in American history.’

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 11: U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on February 11, 2026 in Washington, DC. Bondi is expected to face questions on her department???s handling of the files related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, President Trump???s investigations into political foes and the handing of the two fatal ICE shootings of U.S. citizens. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) — California Democrat Zoe Lofgren had questioned the files’ redactions and warned that Bondi’s department had lost credibility because of them. Instead of engaging directly with the technical detail and specifics of the accusations, Bondi instead pivoted to talking about President Donald Trump. (Picture: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

‘If they could maintain their composure. This isn’t a circus, this is a hearing. I find it interesting she keeps going after Donald Trump. She doesn’t say how much money she took from Reid Hoffman.’

Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during a House Judiciary Committee hearing at the Capitol, in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) — This swipe came during another tense exchange with Lofgren, this time widening the target to include LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman. Bondi’s comment attempted the flip the script, implying that Democrats might also have politically sensitive connections. Understandably, this dig didn’t help thaw proceedings out all that much. (Picture: AP)

‘This is so ridiculous. They are trying to deflect from all the great things Donald Trump has done. There is no evidence that he’s committed a crime. Everyone knows that.’

*** BESTPIX *** WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 11: U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi takes her seat before testifing before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on February 11, 2026 in Washington, DC. Bondi is expected to face questions on her department???s handling of the files related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, President Trump???s investigations into political foes and the handing of the two fatal ICE shootings of U.S. citizens. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) — California representative Ted Lieu had asked whether Trump had ever attended a party with underage girls. Bondi’s response to this was more than a little emphatic. Lieu later argued that her answer amounted to lying under oath given Trump’s name appears in the files in various contexts. (Picture: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

‘Don’t you ever accuse me of committing a crime!’

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 11: Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before the House Committee on the Judiciary during an oversight hearing, at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC on February 11, 2026. (Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images) — When Lieu suggested that Pam Bondi’s answer could itself be said to be criminal, she fired back with this warning. Delivering it with some real gusto too. It was one of several moments where voices were raised. The chair actually struggled at times to keep order. (Picture: Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

‘This guy has Trump Derangement Syndrome. You’re a failed politician.’

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 11: U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on February 11, 2026 in Washington, DC. Bondi is expected to face questions on her department???s handling of the files related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, President Trump???s investigations into political foes and the handing of the two fatal ICE shootings of U.S. citizens. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) — Things didn’t cool down when Republican Thomas Massie, who actually sponsored the law forcing release of The Epstein files, pressed Bondi on why some victims’ names appeared while figures like billionaire Leslie Wexner were initially redacted. Massie called the issue ‘bigger than Watergate’. Bondi insisted that Wexner’s name had been unredacted ‘within 40 minutes’ once flagged. Then she went personal, accusing Massie of being a ‘failed politician’ suffering from ‘Trump derangement syndrome’. The spat showed this wasn’t just a Democrat versus DOJ row – even supposed allies were intent on drawing blood here. (Picture: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

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