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By Andrew Stanton
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Democrats issued a warning to Pam Bondi about an upcoming hearing after President Donald Trump said she would be departing from her role as attorney general.
The House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena for Bondi last month compelling her testimony for a hearing into the Department of Justice's (DOJ) handling of the Epstein investigations. Representative Ro Khanna, California Democrat, told Newsweek Bondi must still testify in the hearing regardless of her departure from the department.
“Rep. Mace and I subpoenaed Bondi to testify before the Oversight Committee on April 14th. Even though she was fired, she must still answer to Congress about the remaining documents, why we have no new prosecutions, and why she participated in a cover-up,” Khanna said.
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Representative Nancy Mace, the South Carolina Republican who moved to subpoena Bondi, said the writ remains in effect, in a post to X.
"Pam Bondi will soon leave her job as the Attorney General. My subpoena still stands. When the Oversight Committee moved to subpoena Bondi, I did it by name, not by or not as the sitting Attorney General of the U.S. RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES," she wrote.
Why It Matters
Bondi is the latest high-profile departure from the Trump administration. Her exit follows months of backlash over the handling of the release of documents related to federal investigations into sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was found dead in a New York City federal jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking. Trump campaigned on releasing the Epstein files, but Bondi has faced criticism over their slow release and heavy redactions.
Will Pam Bondi Still Have to Testify?
Democrats serving on the House Oversight Committee said Bondi would still have to testify before it, regardless of her departure.
“Pam Bondi and Donald Trump may think her firing gets her out of testifying to the Oversight Committee. They are wrong - and we look forward to hearing from her under oath,” Representative Robert Garcia, California Democrat who serves as the committee’s ranking member, wrote on X.
Representative Maxwell Frost, a Florida Democrat, wrote on X that Bondi “still has to testify, under oath, in front of the Oversight Committee regarding the Epstein Files.”
“This does not get her out of that bipartisan, lawful subpoena. We will see her soon,” he wrote.
A spokesperson for Representative James Comer, the Kentucky Republican who chairs the committee, addressed her testimony in a statement to The Hill.
"Since Pam Bondi is no longer Attorney General, Chairman Comer will speak with Republican members and the Department of Justice about the status of the deposition subpoena and confer on next steps," the statement reads.
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The House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena in March for Bondi to appear at a deposition on the DOJ's handling of the Epstein investigation. She was set to testify on April 14. The DOJ previously said the subpoena is “completely unnecessary.”
Mace said that the case “will go down as one of the greatest cover-ups in American history."
"We will not stay silent while the American people are kept in the dark. Not on the Epstein files. Not on the taxpayer-funded settlements members of Congress used to hide their own misconduct. Today brings us one step closer to the truth the establishment has tried so hard to keep buried," Mace wrote in a March 4 press release.
A recent YouGov poll found that 68 percent of Americans believe the government is “covering up evidence” about Epstein, and only 26 percent of Americans approve of the way Trump has handled the matter. Among Republicans, 56 percent approved of the president's handling. It surveyed 1,124 adults from February 27 to March 2.
What Did Donald Trump Say About Pam Bondi Exit?
Trump announced Bondi’s exit in a post to Truth Social.
“Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year. Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country, with Murders plummeting to their lowest level since 1900. We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future,” Trump wrote.
Why Was Pam Bondi Fired?
Trump did not provide a reason for Bondi’s ousting in his post. Her departure comes amid ongoing backlash over the Epstein files and ahead of a House Oversight Committee hearing into the Justice Department's handling of the investigation, for which Bondi was subpoenaed.
Who Could Replace Pam Bondi?
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will serve as acting attorney general, Trump said.
Blanche is a former federal prosecutor and longtime legal defender of Trump who joined his defense team ahead of the president's New York arraignment and later led his defense in the federal classified‑documents and election‑obstruction cases. Blanche ultimately became Trump’s lead trial lawyer in the New York criminal case, developing what the document describes as a “close relationship” with the president.
Environmental Protection Agency Director Lee Zeldin has already been floated as a potential candidate, according to Fox News
What People Are Saying
Representative Thomas Massie, Kentucky Republican who led the Epstein bill, on X: "I support Trump firing Pam Bondi. Do you? I hope the next AG will release all the Epstein files according to the law and follow up with investigations, prosecutions, and arrests."
Khanna, on X: "The Epstein files cover up took down Bondi. @RepThomasMassie & I have been calling for accountability since she violated our Epstein Transparency Act. Congress does not need to be a doormat. The Senate must fight to make sure Bondi is not replaced with another lawless sycophant."
What Happens Next
Bondi has not spoken out about her ousting. Whomever Trump names as Bondi's official replacement will require Senate confirmation.
Update 4/2/26, 3:01 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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