Former Attorney General Pam Bondi will not appear for her April 14 deposition in front of the House Oversight Committee as part of the panel’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, according to a spokeswoman for the committee.
The Department of Justice told the Republican-led committee that she would not appear on that date, as she was subpoenaed in her capacity as attorney general and no longer serves in that role.
President Donald Trump removed Bondi from her role as the nation’s top prosecutor last week after bipartisan heat over her department’s handling of the Epstein files.
“The Department of Justice has stated Pam Bondi will not appear on April 14 for a deposition since she is no longer Attorney General and was subpoenaed in her capacity as Attorney General,” Oversight Committee spokeswoman Jessica Collins said in a statement to MS NOW. “The Committee will contact Pam Bondi’s personal counsel to discuss next steps regarding scheduling her deposition.”
Assistant Attorney General Patrick Davis made that case in a letter to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., arguing that Bondi was subpoenaed “in her official capacity as Attorney General, rather than her personal capacity.”
“Ms. Bondi no longer holds that office. As a result, because Ms. Bondi no longer can testify in her official capacity as Attorney General, the Department’s position is that the subpoena no longer obligates her to appear on April 14,” he added. “We kindly ask that you confirm that the subpoena is withdrawn.”
But Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C, who forced a committee vote to subpoena Bondi, argued that her subpoena is still valid because it requested Bondi’s testimony “by name, not by title.”
“Pam Bondi cannot escape accountability simply because she no longer holds the office of Attorney General,” Mace’s office told MS NOW in a statement. “Our motion to subpoena Pam Bondi, which was passed by the Oversight Committee, was for Bondi by name, not by title.”
“She will still have to appear before the Oversight Committee for a sworn deposition,” the statement added. “The American people deserve answers, and we expect her to appear as soon as a new date is set.”
Democrats on the committee stand firm that Bondi is legally bound to testify, regardless of her current title. If Bondi doesn’t appear for her April 14 deposition, House Oversight ranking member Robert Garcia, D-Calif., threatened to pursue contempt of Congress charges against Bondi.
“Our bipartisan subpoena is to Pam Bondi, whether she is the Attorney General or not,” Garcia wrote. “She must come in to testify immediately, and if she defies the subpoena, we will begin contempt charges in the Congress.”
The subpoena, obtained by MS NOW, is addressed to: “Pamela J. Bondi, Attorney General of the United States.”
The committee voted to subpoena Bondi in early March, with five Republicans — Mace and Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Tim Burchett of Tennessee and Michael Cloud of Texas — joining Democrats in forcing her testimony.
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Mace and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., wrote a letter to Comer earlier on Wednesday, asking that he “publicly reaffirm” that Bondi must appear for her April 14 deposition date or threaten “appropriate enforcement” if she doesn’t comply.
The lawmakers argued that Bondi’s testimony is “even more important” in light of her recent firing.
“The removal of Pam Bondi as Attorney General does not diminish the Committee’s legitimate oversight interests in seeking her sworn testimony or the need for accountability and information about files withheld from the public by the DOJ,” Khanna and Mace wrote. “On the contrary, it makes her sworn testimony even more important, especially with respect to actions she took as Attorney General, matters already under investigation, and decisions made under her leadership.”
Bondi and then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche gave a private briefing to lawmakers on the Epstein investigation in March, after the subpoena was issued. Trump appointed Blanche to serve as acting attorney general after firing Bondi.
Leaving the briefing, Bondi would not commit to complying with the subpoena, telling MS NOW she would “follow the law.”
Asked for comment on the news Wednesday morning, Burchett told MS NOW: “I’m not surprised by the Justice Department’s analysis.”
“I would not [have] been surprised either way,” he added.
Asked if he’d again vote yes should the committee make another attempt at subpoenaing Bondi, after her tenure as attorney general, Burchett was unsure.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I mean, she’s a private citizen now.”
Syedah Asghar
Syedah Asghar covers Congress for MS NOW.
Mychael Schnell is a reporter for MS NOW.