House Republicans want to pretend that Bill and Hillary Clinton are the only worthwhile focus of the Epstein files scandal, but unfortunately for them, Democrats are ready to dismantle their desperate attempt to run interference for President Donald Trump.
During a Wednesday hearing for the House Oversight Committee, Democrats tore into Attorney General Pam Bondi’s failure to release the government’s files on accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, a former friend of Trump’s. The administration was required by law to release all the files over a month ago.
Democratic Rep. James Walkinshaw of Virginia synthesized the case against Bondi, calling her actions a clear cover-up. He displayed one of the many fully redacted datasets included in the less than 1% of the files that have been released so far.
“Despite clear legal requirements and a law that Donald Trump signed, a subpoena that you signed, Mr. Chairman [Rep. James Comer], and repeated public promises, Attorney General Bondi has failed to release the files,” Walkinshaw said, describing the “sliver” of material disclosed a mockery.
Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost of Florida underscored the need for subpoenas of the staff of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. He also emphasized Democrats’ commitment to universal transparency.
“I don't care if you're a Democrat, I don't care if you're Republican,” Frost said. “I'm tired of rich people trying to evade justice and accountability, period. But you can't do it just for the party you disagree with.”
Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico—who did yeoman’s work in exposing the sham theatrics of former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene—lifted the veil on a GOP more interested in producing sound bites for right-wing media than investigating alleged crimes.
“If this was actually about getting to the bottom of this case and actually holding individuals accountable for the crimes that were committed by Jeffrey Epstein, by Ghislaine Maxwell, by the associates, and the many, many people who are implicated in this case, what would be happening right now in this committee is that Pam Bondi and DOJ [Department of Justice] officials would be sitting right there on the witness panel, answering questions under oath,” she said.
Democrats hit the same important point: Trump’s Department of Justice remains in violation of a bipartisan law—and the GOP is carrying their dirty water for them.
