In a contentious Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on October 7, 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi faced sharp questioning from Democrats about the Justice Department’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein investigative files, including allegations of selective protection for President Donald Trump.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the ranking member, directly asked Bondi who ordered FBI agents to “flag records related to President Trump” during file reviews—a reference to earlier reports of internal directives to highlight Trump mentions. Bondi refused to answer, stating, “I’m not going to discuss anything about that with you, senator.”
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) pressed Bondi on whether the FBI recovered compromising photos of Trump (allegedly with young or topless women) from Epstein’s safe or properties, citing public claims by author Michael Wolff. Bondi deflected, accusing Whitehouse of “salacious remarks” and “slander” while counterattacking his alleged ties to Epstein associates, without confirming or denying the photos’ existence.
Bondi repeatedly evaded Epstein-related questions, shifting focus to Democratic senators’ past actions or alleged hypocrisy, while praising the Trump administration’s DOJ reforms. Democrats accused her of stonewalling and weaponizing the department to shield Trump, fueling whispers in Washington of a potential cover-up amid delays in fuller file releases (later partially addressed in December 2025 disclosures).
The hearing, lasting over four hours, highlighted deep partisan divides, with Republicans defending Bondi against “weaponization” claims from prior administrations. No new evidence of impropriety by Trump emerged from the exchanges.
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