Pam Bondi testifies in Epstein probe as she makes first public appearance since cancer diagnosis
Topics: US News, Jeffrey Epstein, Donald Trump, Politics
Kit Roberts
Featured Image Credit: Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Topics: US News, Jeffrey Epstein, Donald Trump, Politics
Former Attorney General for the Trump administration Pam Bondi has testified in the probe into the estate of Jeffrey Epstein.
Bondi was previously ousted from the position as the most senior law enforcement officer in the US back in April.
After losing her position in Donald Trump's administration, Bondi has since been diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
Now, the former Attorney General is appearing before a congressional committee which is investigating convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
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Epstein was known for his wide ranging connections to many famous and powerful individuals, and Bondi is now testifying on the way the US Justice Department handled the release of files from Epstein's estate.
The testimony itself is happening in Washington DC, and is happening behind closed doors, however video and transcripts of the sessions may be made public later.
NBC News has obtained a copy of Bondi's opening statement, in which she laid out a statement that the Justice Department had made 'redaction errors' when it released records about Epstein, but that the only withheld materials were 'either non-responsive, privileged, or duplicative'.
According to the documents obtained by NBC, Bondi said that she was 'proud' of the release of material from Epstein's estate.
"We demonstrated an unprecedented commitment to transparency in the Department's search for, collection, and review of the Epstein files, producing nearly 3 million pages of material, including thousands of videos and hundreds of thousands of images," the documents said.
They added: “There were redaction errors. But since day one of this process, this Department has been committed to accountability and transparency.
"Our stance has always been that the Department stands ready to review any potential evidence of criminal activity related to Epstein and his associates and would pursue appropriate investigative or prosecutorial action wherever the facts and law warrant.”
James Comer is the Republican chair of the investigating committee, and said prior to the session today: "We're going to try to determine whether or not there could be more documents legally turned over.
"I want every document. I don't want anything held back and I think the majority of the committee's the same way."
Epstein became notorious for his network of rich and powerful individuals.
Many public figures have been named or pictured in the documents released so far, including Donald Trump.
Trump has not been accused of any offence in relation to his relationship with Epstein, and has previously said that he had tried to distance himself from Epstein.