US Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday refused to apologize to victims of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a contentious hearing before the House Judiciary Committee.

During the hearing, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) grilled Bondi on why her office failed repeatedly to comply with a law passed in 2025 requiring the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to release “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in DOJ’s possession that relate to the investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein.”

In particular, Jayapal noted that some of the files released by the DOJ so far have kept victims’ names intact, even while redacting the names of several powerful men who are implicated in Epstein’s sex trafficking operation.

“Your Department of Justice initially released this list of 32 survivors’ names, with only one name redacted,” said Jayapal, who then slammed the DOJ for releasing files that not only included victims’ names but also their email and residential addresses, and even nude photographs of them.

🚨HISTORIC. Rep. Jayapal asks Epstein survivors to raise their hand if they still haven’t been invited to meet with Pam Bondi or the DOJ.

Every single one raises their hand.

Sometimes gestures are more powerful than words. Damn this Administration.
pic.twitter.com/jyYG7Mj6tN
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) February 11, 2026

“Survivors are now telling us that their families are finding out for the first time that they were trafficked by Epstein,” Jayapal continued. “In their words, ‘This release does not provide closure, it feels like a deliberate attempt to intimidate survivors, punish those who came forward, and reinforce the same culture of secrecy that allowed Epstein’s crimes to continue for decades.’”

Jayapal then invited the Epstein survivors who were in attendance at the hearing to stand if they so wished, and asked them to raise their hands if they had still yet to meet with the DOJ to discuss the case.

After several women stood and raised their hands, Jayapal asked Bondi if she would apologize to them failing to redact their names and personal information before releasing the Epstein files.

Bondi responded by trying to deflect blame for past failures onto former Attorney General Merrick Garland. Jayapal interrupted the attorney general and asked her if she would apologize to the survivors for disclosing their information.

Bondi again tried to redirect the conversation to Garland, after which Jayapal again objected.

Finally, Bondi responded, “I’m not going to get in the gutter for [Jayapal’s] theatrics.”

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