Stormy hearings in the Epstein case in the US Congress. Attorney General Pam Bondi accused of 'lying under oath' about Trump / Bondi cited stock market performance
Pam Bondi invoked Donald Trump's achievements in his first year in office and attacked Democratic and Republican politicians questioning her on the Epstein case during a tense congressional hearing, Reuters and the New York Times write.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi has been accused of lying under oath, withholding the names of powerful associates of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and not doing enough to investigate the case and provide satisfaction to victims during a scandal-plagued hearing in the US Congress.
Under the rain of accusations, Bondi refused to apologize to the victims, attacked congressmen, repeatedly defended Donald Trump and cited the achievements of the president in his first year in office, including the performance of the stock market – a remark that drew laughter in the room during the hearing that took place in the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives, writes Reuters.
Bondi refused to apologize to Epstein's victims
Bondi and various members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans, clashed repeatedly during the hearing.
Representative Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the committee, was primarily critical of Bondi's handling of the release of investigative files implicating Epstein.
“You side with the perpetrators and ignore the victims,” Raskin said. “This will be your legacy if you don't act quickly to reverse course. You are running a massive Epstein cover-up from within the Justice Department itself,” he charged, according to the New York Times.
A particularly awkward moment was when Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington, called on Bondi to tell Epstein's victims, some of whom were in the room, that she was sorry for the sloppy and slow release of the documents.
Jayapal first asked victims to raise their hands if they have not yet been able to meet with the Department of Justice to tell their story.
After numerous women stood up and raised their hands, Jayapal asked Bondi to apologize for the “unacceptable disclosure” of information about victims in the Epstein files.
Bondi seemed for a moment at a loss for words. He then accused Jayapal of “theatrics” and said she was dragging the hearing “into the mud”.
“The Dow is over 50,000 right now”
Pondi fiercely defended his actions in the Epstein case from the beginning and blamed his predecessors in the Biden tenure for missed opportunities in the investigation.
At the same time, she blasted several Democrats on the committee, including Raskin and Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, for leading the impeachment proceedings against Trump.
“Have you apologized to President Trump?” Bondi asked.
Pam Bondi Gets Asked About Jeffrey Epstein.
Her Response: “The Dow Is Over 50,000.”
— Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) February 11, 2026
“You're sitting here attacking the president, and I'm not going to accept that,” added Ms. Bondi, who then pointed to the stock market's performance, prompting jeers from Democrats.
“The Dow is over 50,000 right now,” CNBC quoted Bondi as saying.
The S&P 500 is also rising and the Nasdaq is “breaking records,” while Americans' retirement accounts are “booming,” Bondi said. “That's what we should talk about,” she insisted.
“You're not telling me anything, you failed failed lawyer. You're not even a lawyer,” she said in an exchange with Raskin, a Harvard-educated lawyer.
A Republican joined the Democrats
A Republican critic of the Trump administration joined Democrats in the attack. Representative Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, has frequently criticized Bondi and his top deputy, Todd Blanche, for their handling of the files, accusing them of delaying or blocking the release of some material.
On Wednesday, Massie and Bondi clashed over the Justice Department's accidental disclosure of the victims' identities and the withholding of the identity of an alleged accomplice.
“Who is responsible?” Massie asked. Bondi responded by accusing Massie of being obsessed with Trump and calling him “a failed politician”.
Representative Becca Balint, D-Vermont, questioned Bondi extensively about the relationship between three senior Trump administration officials and Jeffrey Epstein.
At one point, she asked Bondi if she planned to question Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about his relationship with Epstein.
Bondi responded that Lutnick had already spoken about his ties to Epstein.
“You just lied under oath”
One of the most tense exchanges came when California Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu accused Bondi of lying under oath when asked about President Donald Trump's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
During the hearing, Lieu said there was evidence that Trump, like Prince Andrew, attended parties with Epstein.
“I want to know if there were any underage girls at that party or any party that Trump attended with Jeffrey Epstein,” Lieu said.
You won't see this on Fox evening news: Pam Bondi just committed a federal crime by lying under the oath.
Ted Lieu just caught her in a lie and called for her resignation live on TV.
pic.twitter.com/TYMO6mshif— Furkan Gözükara (@FurkanGozukara) February 11, 2026
Bondi said the question is ridiculous and distracts from all the good things the president has done.
“There is no evidence that Donald Trump has committed a crime,” Bondi responded. “Everybody knows that,” she added.
As Bondi continued to speak, Lieu accused her of lying under oath. “You just lied under oath,” he said, pointing to a witness statement about Trump and asking if that witness had been interviewed.
“Don't ever accuse me of a crime,” Bondi replied.
They continued to talk over each other until Lieu gave his conclusions.
“There are over a thousand victims of sex trafficking and you haven't held a single man accountable,” he said. “Shame on you. If you had any decency you would resign immediately after this hearing,” he said.
