US Attorney General Pam Bondi declined to directly apologise to victims of Jeffrey Epstein during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, as Democratic lawmakers questioned the Justice Department’s handling of the case.

 

During the hearing, Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal asked victims of Epstein who were present in the room to indicate whether they had been able to meet with the Department of Justice.

 

“Please raise your hand if you have still not been able to meet with this Department of Justice,” Jayapal said. She then stated for the record that “every single survivor has raised their hand.”

 

Jayapal then asked Bondi: “Will you turn to them now and apologize for what your Department of Justice has put them through with the absolutely unacceptable release of the Epstein files and their information?”

 

Bondi did not turn toward the victims and instead began referring to her predecessor, Merrick Garland. When Jayapal repeated the request, Bondi responded, “I’m not going to get in the gutter for her theatrics.”

 

In her opening remarks earlier in the session, Bondi addressed the victims while defending her record. “I’m a career prosecutor and despite what the ranking member said, I have spent my entire career fighting for victims, and I will continue to do so,” she said. “I am deeply sorry for what any victim, any victim, has been through, especially as a result of that monster.”

 

Representative Jamie Raskin, the ranking member on the committee, also questioned Bondi over the department’s approach. In his opening statement, he accused the Attorney General of “siding with the perpetrators” and “ignoring the victims.”

 

“That will be your legacy, unless you act quickly to change course,” Raskin said. “You’re running a massive Epstein cover-up right out of the Department of Justice.”

 

Raskin introduced Bondi to victims and relatives of deceased victims who were present at the hearing and told her, “You’re not showing a lot of interest in the victims, Mrs. Attorney General.”

 

Raskin attempted to prevent the attorney general from giving extended answers that reduced the time available for questioning. When Raskin said he had warned Bondi at the outset of the hearing about consuming members’ time, Bondi replied by raising her voice: “You don’t tell me anything.

 

“You’re a washed-up loser lawyer. You’re not even a lawyer,” she said to Raskin.

 

Later in the hearing, Representative Jared Moskowitz asked the victims in the room to stand and respond to questions. He asked whether any of them had met with the Justice Department and provided testimony or evidence. No hands were raised. He then asked whether they had reached out, individually or through legal representatives, to offer testimony and evidence. All of the victims raised their hands. They also raised their hands when asked whether they had been “denied or ignored” by the department and whether they remained willing to speak with officials.