Attorney General Pam Bondi will testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, February 11. This will take place amid an avalanche of controversy that would normally herald a sharp, cross-party hearing.
The highest-ranking US law enforcement official has come under scrutiny for the way the Justice Department handled its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. The files were published long after the statutory deadline, and the blackouts contained in them seem to violate legal requirements.
The ministry led by Bondi is also overseeing criminal proceedings against former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, who was forcibly removed from his country by American troops. This operation raised a wave of legal questions. At the same time, her agency is under pressure to investigate and bring charges against federal officers who fatally shot two U.S. citizens in Minnesota.
“It is difficult to narrow down all the unlawful actions and gross abuses of power that the Department of Justice has committed in just one year,” he said. [demokrata z Nowego Jorku] Dan Goldman, committee member.
– he added.
As for Republicans, there is one exception – Thomas Massie [z Kentucky]who said he intended to pepper Bondi with questions about the Epstein case — the other party members on the committee show little enthusiasm for confronting her with the controversy.
Asked about the hearing's priorities, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan said he wanted to hear more about the Justice Department's newly appointed high-ranking financial crimes official, the now-completed investigation into President Donald Trump and, as he put it, “the good everyday job of going after bad guys.”
Wisconsin Republican Glenn Grothman said he would ask Bondi about election law reform, however [republikanin z Kalifornii] Kevin Kiley suggested that he would like to discuss the ministry's activities to protect – as he put it – “parents' rights”.
“We'll have some fun,” Kiley added.
The silence that says everything
While it's not unusual for members of the government to find themselves in a friendly audience when a majority in Congress represents the same party as the administration, Democrats believe the accumulation of high-profile crises around Bondi gives them a unique opportunity. They mainly hope to expose the Republicans' silence on sensitive issues and the prosecutor general's reluctance to answer the opposition's questions.
Federal courts across the country have found that the Justice Department lied: it concealed evidence, misled courts, and showed a gross disregard for the rule of law and the integrity of the justice system.
said Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the Democratic leader on the committee.
“If they disregard the courts, they probably respect Congress even less,” he concluded.
Jamie Raskin speaks during a hearing using visuals of various scenes involving ICE in Minnesota, Washington, U.S., February 4, 2026.HEATHER DIEHL / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP / AFP
Raskin added that Democrats are planning “an exchange that will shed light on… the most serious abuses of the Justice Department under Trump“, hoping that public pressure will allow progress to be achieved at least in some areas.
He also said Democrats would ask about the process of releasing the Epstein files, which he said “led to such flawed results.”
“When he is afraid to answer a question, he attacks”
Democrats also expect Bondi to avoid responding by personally attacking committee members.
She told Senator Adam Schiff during an October appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee [demokracie z Kalifornii]to “apologize” for trying to impeach Trump, and accused Senator Dick Durbin of not wanting to “protect his own citizens” when he asked about sending the National Guard to Illinois.
United States Attorney General Pam Bondi, Washington, USA, January 15, 2026Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP / AFP
At another point, she deflected a question about Epstein to Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, suggesting undocumented campaign donations, and then made the peculiar allegation that he pushed for legislation to subsidize his wife's company.
“We have all noticed that in previous hearings, when he is afraid to answer a question, he attacks members of Congress,” said Ted Lieu of California, a member of Democratic leadership in the House and committee.
If he starts doing this again, it will be clear that he is avoiding answers and participating in a cover-up. Americans will see it with their own eyes on Wednesday
– he added.
Bondi may also attack [demokratę z Kalifornii] Eric Swalwell, a longtime critic of the Trump administration who is currently running for governor and has come under scrutiny in the past for his alleged ties to an alleged Chinese spy. Republicans removed him from the Intelligence Committee, but the Ethics Committee discontinued its investigation into the matter in 2023.
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“I don't want her to know what awaits her.”
It cannot be ruled out that Republicans on the Judiciary Committee will express veiled criticism of the Justice Department's immigration policy after the violent clashes in Minnesota. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Andrew Garbarino said during Tuesday's hearing that “when officials or elected representatives rush to judgments about the actions of law enforcement or their fellow citizens, public trust suffers.”
Most Republicans on the Judiciary Committee, however, are loyal Trump supporters and unlikely to break the Bondi party line. The one exception may prove to be Massie, whom Trump is currently trying to eliminate in the primary after a series of insubordination.
“It probably won't be a surprise that I'll focus on Epstein,” Massie said of his plans. However, he did not reveal the details: – I don't want her to know what awaits her.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
