‘She’s looking for excuses’: House Dem calls out Pam Bondi for refusing to testify in Epstein probe

[0:00] Let's bring in Democratic Congresswoman Summer Lee of Pennsylvania. She is a member of the House [0:06] Oversight Committee. The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed now former Attorney General Pam Bondi [0:15] to come before the committee. She was going to—we thought she was going to come, but then she let [0:21] word be known that she is not coming. And Forbes has this headline from this week, [0:28] Democrats threaten Pam Bondi with contempt after she backs out of Epstein testimony. There's a Hill [0:35] headline that says, Mace calls for Bondi to testify in Epstein files probe or be held in contempt. [0:42] If you hold her in contempt, that gets referred to the Department of Justice. [0:47] How confident are you that even if the committee does hold her in contempt, [0:52] that DOJ will actually follow through with it? So just to backtrack a second, [1:00] I didn't think that she wasn't going to come. If folks remember from our fake hearing briefing that [1:08] she came to, and she told us that she would not commit there, right? So it was very clear to us [1:14] there that she was trying—that Comer was trying to help her get out of having to appear before our [1:20] committee in regards to the subpoena. As for how this contempt could go, from what I understand is [1:26] that there actually are two routes. There is civil contempt and there's criminal contempt. Criminal [1:31] contempt goes directly to the DOJ, which, of course, she used to be the head of. Civil contempt is [1:38] actually a different route. So I think that what would happen now is our committee would look at what [1:43] the best options are here. What are the options that might get us closer to some justice? Recognizing [1:48] that the way that Trump's Department of Justice has conducted itself so far does not leave confidence [1:54] for us to think that they'll do this—any sort of an honorable investigation on their own. [2:00] In August of last year, former Attorney General Barr testified, had a meeting with the Oversight [2:13] Committee about Epstein. Bonnie's saying she's not going to do it because she's no longer the [2:18] current AG. That is what the DOJ has said. But there's already precedent to go to former [2:24] attorneys general who were around when Epstein investigations, or at least documents from what [2:33] should have been investigations were in the possession of the DOJ and in foreign administrations. [2:39] What does that tell you about how Pam Bondi is viewing this? [2:45] There's precedent now, not just for a former attorney general. There's precedent for a former [2:50] president to come before us or be held in contempt. For a former Department of State, you know, [2:57] Secretary of State to come before us. She's looking for excuses because she thinks that there are some [3:02] people out in the public who will accept them. But we know that that's not true. The subpoena did not [3:07] call for the current attorney general. It named her specifically. And it named her specifically [3:13] because of her handling of the Epstein files, the Epstein investigation, and her lack of responsiveness [3:20] to both the Epstein Files Transparency Act and the subpoena that we secured the committee back in [3:25] August. So, yeah, I think she's being incredibly arrogant. I think that that's how she's been [3:31] moving this entire time. I think that she is being very disrespectful of the processes that are laid [3:37] forth, not just in the legislative branch, but also the executive branch. But I imagine that's why she [3:42] doesn't have a job anymore. Nope. [3:45] Congresswoman, before we are out of time, I want to ask you about the breaking news last night, [3:49] sexual assault allegations against Eric Swalwell, your Democratic colleague in the House. I'm wondering [3:56] if you have a response to these allegations that have now emerged and whether or not you think that [4:04] the congressman should drop out of the California gubernatorial race and resign from his position in [4:10] Congress. So I've seen or at least read some of these allegations, and it is incredibly disappointing [4:19] and discouraging and heinous. And to be very clear, at times, his career is less of my worry. [4:26] These women, these survivors, these victims, their healing is important to us. And I think that [4:31] sometimes we need to recensor that, that one would hope that where allegations like this come up, [4:37] that the person would do the right thing. But then they didn't do the right thing in the first place [4:42] if these are credible. So, yeah, I think it's incredibly troubling. And it does make me think more [4:47] about what we are doing here around the Epstein files, why we are fighting so diligently for them [4:53] to be released. It's because we want to create a world where women feel confident that they can come [4:58] forward and that there will be accountability, where perpetrators no longer feel that their power [5:05] would put them in a position where they could even ever feel that they'll be able to get away with [5:10] something like that. And the only way that we are able to create that world is if we create support [5:15] and reinforce the mechanisms for accountability. So I look and I believe that there should be, [5:20] of course, a full investigation. Of course, this should be taken seriously because this is a man who [5:26] is now in a position of power and is seeking more. So, yeah, I'm 100 percent for accountability, [5:31] for transparency, for responsibility, and also for the support systems for all the women who have come [5:37] forward. But, Congressman, should he drop out of the race, at the very least, while this—whatever [5:44] investigation whoever needs to look into it should do that? Should he be the standard bearer? [5:48] I do not believe that it is possible for him to move forward and honor whatever investigation [5:53] would go forward. This is going to be a very painful moment for the people who have come forward. [5:59] And if he is still running for governor, I don't under—I don't believe that that would be [6:03] respectful of this process. So, no, I don't think that he should continue on. [6:06] JOHN YANG, Congressman Summer Lee, thank you very much for coming on the weekend.