Epstein survivor on Pam Bondi deposition: ‘Who is she protecting?’

[0:00] The former Attorney General Pam Bondi will be in the hot seat tomorrow set to face questions from [0:05] the House Oversight Committee as part of their ongoing investigation into the Justice Department's [0:10] handling of the release of the Epstein files. Bondi herself had faced serious criticism from [0:15] outside and inside the Trump administration for her role overseeing the document release. It's [0:21] seen as a key reason President Trump pushed her out of the job. Now tomorrow's meeting is a [0:25] culmination of a huge effort by Congress to get her there. She was initially subpoenaed, [0:30] you'll remember, to appear in April. Then DOJ argued she no longer needed to appear after she [0:35] was ousted from the AG job. Tomorrow's deposition, it will be transcribed. She will not, though, [0:40] be under oath. Joining us right now is Marina Lucerta. She is an Epstein survivor who says [0:45] she was just 14 years old when she met him. She was identified as minor victim one in the 2019 [0:51] federal indictment against Epstein. Thank you so much for being here. Kind of wondering just [0:57] how you're feeling after, I mean, a whole lot of lead-up and effort and fits and starts to get [1:04] Bondi to, you know, sit before this committee in a real way and face this deposition. Kind of, [1:11] how are you feeling about this? I mean, good morning, first of all, and thank you for having me. [1:18] I think it's been such a long road at this point, and we are truly frustrated, and we are thankful [1:26] that she is coming in, but we would like for her to come in under oath and testify. That would be, [1:31] you know, ideal here. So, it's some, you know, it weighs out. We are frustrated, but yes, we feel [1:37] like, you know, we're taking a step forward to maybe accountability here. Yeah, I mean, she will not [1:45] be under oath. It is still a crime to lie to Congress, so there is that, of course, right? But [1:52] what would you hope to hear from her, especially after you said, after it has been such a long road, [1:59] after the documents have still not all been released, and kind of the mess that we have seen [2:06] of victims identified and high-profile names being redacted that many viewed as not needing to be [2:16] redacted now? Yes, and we understand it is a crime to lie, but we can see that people are committing [2:24] crimes, and no one is, you know, being held accountable for it. So, it's kind of, we're very [2:29] confused here, right? But, you know, tomorrow we want to understand what happened inside the DOJ with [2:36] the redactions. Why names and photos, information of victims revealed while names of those who were [2:43] exploited are redacted? It is very confusing for us. This is not a hard job. Why are there numerous [2:51] investigation leads not being investigated? We have so many names. I mean, people have been asking for [2:58] names, names, names, names. We have all these names in the files. Why aren't we taking a step [3:03] forward? We need to, you know, take a step forward into accountability and justice here, and I think [3:09] that it's very important, not only for the survivors, but for the American people. Yeah, a real concrete [3:15] step forward. I think you guys have been asking for that for quite some time. I was thinking back to [3:21] when Bondi testified publicly back in February. There was this moment when Congresswoman Jayapal had asked [3:26] survivors in the audience to stand and raise a hand if they had not been able to meet with the Trump [3:32] administration and asked if Bondi would apologize. You were among them. And afterward, you had said that [3:39] Bondi dehumanized you and other survivors. And I was thinking, she was attorney general then. She's no [3:47] longer in that role. Do you think that could perhaps get something different from her this time around? [3:56] You know, to be honest with you, I don't think things will be honest. I think she is very much [4:05] protecting somebody. And that is the next question that we also have. Who is she protecting? She is no [4:11] longer, you know, in the position that she was in. But we do feel that she will continue to protect [4:17] whoever she's protecting, which we may know who it is. But I don't think things will be different. I think [4:23] it I think tomorrow might be even something very quick. I think she may not even sit through the [4:29] whole thing. You know, through the whole hearing, we are just really, really hoping that she will come [4:36] on tomorrow and be, you know, as as honest and, you know, as possible. Everyone has been waiting. And [4:46] the lashing out that she did the last time will not work this time. Everyone was in the room shocked [4:54] about how she was acting. So we need to understand here that the lashing out that she did the last [5:00] time was completely, you know, out of this world. We have to understand here that it is time for her [5:08] to bring the truth to all the survivors and the American people. Really quick, you guys said you and other [5:16] survivors had put out a statement this month to the acting attorney general asking to asking to meet. And [5:26] I'm wondering if you've gotten any response to that or if there's been any progress on this front. [5:32] You know, it's funny you say that because we had everyone from the DOJ to Penn Bondi to Todd Blanche, [5:43] right on his hearing saying, if victims or survivors need to come forward, they just need to go to the [5:49] FBI or they need to come to us. It's really crazy. We've been trying to talk to them. We've we're tired of [5:56] asking to speak to them. And we find that at this point that it is truly sad that they have not tried to [6:03] contact us or even tried to set up something with us. So the answer is no, they have not tried. It is [6:10] easy to sit, you know, somewhere and say anywhere, you know, on TV and say, we we would love to hear [6:18] for them. If anyone has committed a crime, we are going after them. They have not done that. And it [6:23] does not look like they will do that. So we have high hopes that this hearing tomorrow will really, [6:30] really bring, you know, some closure and some sort of step towards accountability at this point. [6:36] And joining me right now is Democratic Congressman Wesley Bell from Missouri. He is on the House [6:42] Oversight Committee. Congressman, thank you for being here. You hear what one of Epstein's survivors [6:47] of the survivor of Epstein's abuse would like to have answered tomorrow. But what are you going to be [6:52] asking of Pam Bondi? You know, and I'm a former prosecutor, Kate, and, and, and, and my heart just [7:01] goes out to these survivors. I've met with them. I've been able to look them in the eyes and hear [7:08] their stories. And I've led investigations like these as a prosecutor. And what, what they are owed [7:15] is a full, detailed and thorough investigation. That's how we get to, and we follow that investigation [7:24] wherever those, those facts and evidence takes us. That's how we get to that concept of justice [7:31] and, and the survivors and victims deserve nothing less. Is there an area, um, with regard that you [7:39] think Pam Bondi needs to speak to? I'm sure that there are lots of questions, but is there one area [7:45] you believe you would like to see, um, that you would like to focus when she get, comes before the [7:50] committee? Oh, there, there's a lot of things that I think that we should focus on. One is, um, there [7:58] was, there was an, there's an Epstein law that requires full release of the Epstein files. The [8:04] only way that we can do a full investigation and ensure that those accountable for what is likely [8:10] the largest sex trafficking operation in this country and possibly in the world, the only way we [8:17] can get to the bottom of it is to get every, is to see the entire files, get every question answered [8:23] and, uh, and, and make certain that every stone is unturned and we look under every rock and we [8:31] follow that investigation wherever it may lead us. And again, because sometimes we complicate things, [8:37] but things aren't complicated. Now they get corrupted is what, what we're seeing by this administration, [8:43] but they're not complicated. Let's do a thorough investigation. Let's do a detailed investigation [8:48] and let's deliver the justice that these, that these women deserve. Another thing that Marina [8:53] Lacerda told us this morning is that she says, despite all of the talk from officials at the [8:58] Department of Justice, that they want to hear from Epstein survivors, that they want to, if crimes are [9:03] committed, they want to seek out, you know, punishment for those crimes. Maria Lacerda also says that [9:10] they have never heard from anyone at DOJ, despite what's been said. Let me play this. [9:17] We had everyone from the DOJ to Penn Bondi to Todd Blanche, right on his hearing saying [9:24] if, uh, victims or survivors need to come forward, they just need to go to the FBI or they need to [9:29] come to us. It's really crazy. We've been trying to talk to them. We've, we're tired of asking to [9:36] speak to them. And we find that at this point that it is truly sad that they have not tried to contact [9:43] us or even tried to set up something with us. So the answer is no, they have not tried. [9:53] Congressman, what can you all do about that? That seems to be a concrete step that could be taken. [9:58] I couldn't, I could not agree more. And, and as my grandmother used to say, if it looks like a duck, [10:05] walks like a duck and goes, quack, quack, it's a duck. And this looks sounds and walks like a coverup. [10:11] We know exactly what it is. Pam Bondi told us that she had the files on her desk. She tipped off the [10:18] president that he is mentioned in the, the Epstein files more than anyone else other than Jeff, [10:24] than Jeffrey Epstein. He's mentioned in an estimated 5,300 files over 38,000 times. And this isn't just [10:34] about the president, although he is mentioned and he is someone that needs to answer questions. [10:40] We want to find anyone and question anyone who has information that can lead us to getting justice [10:48] for these individuals. Again, it is not complicated. There are people complicating it and they're doing [10:53] it to cover up for this administration. So then what is going to come of this? You're going to have [10:59] Pam Bondi come. It's going to be transcribed. It's not going to be under oath. It's still a crime to lie, [11:03] to lie to Congress. So you have that. What is going to, what's going to come next? Do you think [11:07] that her being out of office now, her being no longer in the position of attorney general, [11:13] do you think that will make her more open to working with the committee than you have described? [11:19] Do you think that she hasn't been or something different? What comes after this other than [11:24] she, she, a transcription, a transcribed interview that we'll all read. And then it seems that I'm [11:31] asking the same questions today of you that we asked before the meeting back in February when [11:35] she spoke before Congress and every time since. [11:40] Kate, they can run, but they can't hide. At some point, we are not going to stop until a detailed, [11:48] thorough, and complete investigation is done. Right now, Republicans are in the majority. So [11:53] they can shut us down because they have the votes to shut investigations down on oversight, [11:58] which is where I serve. But we're going to take back the House. We're going to do, and the American [12:03] people need to know what's at stake. And justice is at stake. And so we're not going to stop. And so [12:11] they can throw up every roadblock that they can to stop us from investigating these horrific and [12:16] atrocious crimes. But we are not going to stop. And so, yes, what we're seeing from House Republicans, [12:23] they are not doing their job, but they're not serving the interest of justice. And these victims [12:28] who have, where they are long overdue to get the justice that they deserve. And as a human being, [12:36] as a father, as a former prosecutor, what we're seeing is disgusting and deplorable. [12:42] We need to do a thorough investigation. The DOJ needs to release every single file per the law [12:48] that is the law of the land so that we can do a complete investigation and bring these [12:53] individuals justice. And we're not going to stop till it's done.