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Former lawyer wide Pam Bondi told lawmakers that Todd Blanche, nan man Donald Trump has lined up to switch her, was “in charge” of nan US Department of Justice’s arguable handling of nan Jeffrey Epstein case.
Appearing earlier nan House oversight and betterment committee, which is investigating nan precocious financier and convicted activity offender, Bondi besides said she was “not definite of nan extent” Trump knew astir nan crimes of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, nan longtime subordinate of Epstein who is serving a 20-year condemnation for sex-trafficking crimes, earlier they became public.
Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, claimed successful a connection connected Thursday that Trump had been “totally exonerated connected thing relating to Epstein” erstwhile contacted for remark connected Bondi’s testimony.
Blanche, who served arsenic Bondi’s lawman astatine nan justness department, was responsible for nan “entire merchandise of nan Epstein files”, Bondi claimed, according to a transcript released by nan committee connected Thursday. Blanche was appointed arsenic acting lawyer wide pursuing Bondi’s ouster, and Trump said this week he planned to nominate him for nan domiciled permanently.
Last week, Bondi faced questions astir nan justness section handling of nan Epstein files during her tenure. Her quality came arsenic nan section continues to look scrutiny complete nan files,and its compliance pinch nan Epstein Files Transparency Act, which mandated nan merchandise of Epstein-related records held by nan department. The section has maintained it acted successful accordance pinch nan law.
Several lawmakers, connected some sides of nan aisle, arsenic good arsenic survivors of Epstein’s abuse, person criticized immoderate of nan department’s actions and raised concerns complete definite redactions and nan disclosure of delicate individual accusation successful nan files.
In her opening statement and passim her testimony, Bondi defended nan DoJ’s handling of nan records nether her leadership, astatine nan aforesaid clip arsenic moving to region herself from nan merchandise and reappraisal of nan files, saying that she did not “lead each aspect” of nan department’s effort, but that it was Blanche, her erstwhile lawman lawyer general, who is now acting lawyer general, who oversaw it.
“He was successful complaint of nan process and nan full merchandise of nan Epstein files,” she told lawmakers on 29 May. In her opening statement, she besides said that she did not “conduct that archive reappraisal myself” and told nan sheet that she “delegated oversight complete this process” to Blanche.
Bondi acknowledged “there were redaction errors” successful nan release, but insisted that “since time 1 of this process, this section has been committed to accountability and transparency”.
During a break successful questioning past week, respective Democratic lawmakers told reporters that Bondi was telling them that it was Blanche “that was starring nan Epstein investigation and rather frankly, each of nan mistakes that we saw, nan redactions, not protecting survivors, she continues to push that backmost connected to nan acting AG Todd Blanche”.
Afterward, Bondi pushed backmost connected that characterization successful a societal media post, calling it “NOT TRUE”, and said that she “praised Acting AG Blanche’s guidance of this Herculean task”.
In nan transcript, Bondi tin beryllium seen making nan claims nan Democrats had made during nan break, and denying she was “blaming thing connected Todd”.
“Todd Blanche is 1 of nan astir highly ethical individuals I know, and I deliberation he is making an unthinkable Acting Attorney General,” she said successful her testimony. “And he managed this 2 investigation -- and it was a Herculean task -- pinch very small error.”
If formally nominated by Trump to beryllium lawyer wide connected a imperishable basis, Blanche would require confirmation from nan US Senate.
During Bondi’s grounds past week, she besides told lawmakers that she learned of nan arguable situation transportation of Maxwell done news reports, “after it happened”, claiming: “I had thing to do pinch that.”
Asked whether Maxwell should person a pardon, Bondi replied “no”, adding that Maxwell was a “monster”. “I judge she should dice successful prison,” said Bondi.
Throughout nan interview, Bondi besides declined to talk immoderate conversations pinch Trump, saying she would not remark connected discussions she has had pinch nan US president.
In 1 exchange, lawmakers asked Bondi whether upon taking agency “any victims aliases victims’ attorneys” reached retired to nan department.
“Yes,” Bondi replied. When asked really many, she said that she couldn’t callback really galore and added that “I cognize aggregate – location were aggregate victims, and galore of which, I judge nan majority, are represented by attorneys”.
“Did you meet pinch them personally, aliases would that person been thing that Todd Blanche would’ve done?” lawmakers asked Bondi, to which she responded: “No. I said to 1 attorney. I cannot callback her name.”
“I said to her, and I judge I referred her to nan FBI,” she added. “You know, erstwhile a unfortunate is represented, you spell done their attorney.”
Bondi’s quality earlier nan committee followed weeks of backmost and distant betwixt nan erstwhile lawyer wide and lawmakers connected nan committee.
In nan aftermath of Bondi’s testimony, Democrats are urging nan typical James Comer, nan Republican who chairs nan committee, to bring Blanche and FBI head Kash Patel to besides reply questions arsenic portion of nan panel’s investigation into nan Epstein case.
