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By Jason Lemon
Deputy News Director
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Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, said Monday that some Republicans are "on board" with potentially impeaching Attorney General Pam Bondi over the Department of Justice's (DOJ) failure to release all of its files related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein by the congressionally mandated deadline.
Pointing out that Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, would be "leading" the effort if it moves forward, Khanna said during an interview with Morning Joe on MS Now that "there are a few Republicans who are on board with it." However, he noted that this would not be the first step to pressure Bondi and the DOJ, highlighting that they'd first move forward with pushing to hold her in contempt of Congress.
Newsweek reached out to the DOJ for comment on Monday.
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Why It Matters
While Democrats have routinely threatened to impeach officials in President Donald Trump's administration, these efforts have faced little chance of passing in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. GOP involvement with such a move would be a significant change, but it's still unclear whether such an effort could ultimately succeed. Additionally, as Khanna and Massie have said publicly, their first plan of action is to try and hold Bondi in contempt of Congress.
What to Know
Bondi and the Trump administration have faced significant bipartisan criticism for their handling of the Epstein files' release. The full release was mandated after the House and Senate passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November with overwhelming support from both Democrats and Republicans.
The legislation mandated that the files be released within 30 days, with minimal redactions. However, as the deadline hit on Friday, the DOJ failed to release all of the files, while many of the documents in the tranche that were released were heavily redacted. Khanna and Massie, who sponsored and pushed through the bipartisan bill, strongly criticized the DOJ repeatedly over the weekend, as did many other politicians and commentators.
Speaking to Morning Joe on Monday, Khanna said that support for a possible impeachment of Bondi would be bipartisan when pressed on why such an effort would be different from previous pushes against Trump administration officials.
"It's different because it's coming from Republicans, too. If it was just me out there or [Democratic Congressman] Robert Garcia out there, it would be seen as, OK, this is just a Democratic thing. This is going to be Thomas Massie leading it," the California Democrat said.
"There are a few Republicans who are on board with it. But we're not going straight to impeachment. We're starting with contempt," Khanna said. "And the idea would be that you'd get a 30-day grace period, which is already in violation of the law, 30 day grace period to get the documents out."
In a joint appearance on CBS News’ Face the Nation on Sunday, Khanna and Massie said they would move to hold Bondi in inherent contempt of Congress, which could result in a daily fine.
“We only need the House for inherent contempt, and we're building a bipartisan coalition,” Khanna said. “And it would fine Pam Bondi for every day that she’s not releasing these documents.”
Massie said, "The quickest way, and I think most expeditious way, to get justice for these victims is to bring inherent contempt against Pam Bondi."
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What People Are Saying
Attorney General Pam Bondi on X on Sunday: "The Department of Justice previously stated we will bring charges against anyone involved in the trafficking and exploitation of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims. We reaffirm this commitment, and ask any victim to please come forward with any information pertaining to any individuals who engaged in illicit activity at their expense. We have met with many victims and victims groups, and will continue to do so if more reach out. Please contact myself, DAG Blanche, or the FBI and we will investigate immediately. We believe in the equal standard of justice in this country and will ensure that Justice is served."
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on X on Friday: "Today, the Department of Justice publicly released materials related to Jeffrey Epstein under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Additional responsive materials will be produced as our review continues, consistent with the law and with protections for victims."
Congressman Ro Khanna in a podcast with Brian Tyler Cohen aired on Monday: "Massie and I are drafting articles of impeachment as we speak about Pam Bondi and Blanche. We're not going to drop them right away. They're saying they're going to keep producing things until the end of the year, but we're ready."
What Happens Next
The DOJ is expected to release more files in the coming days, while it's likely that the backlash will continue. It remains to be seen whether Massie's and Khanna's contempt effort succeeds and whether they eventually choose to pursue impeachment.
Update, 12/22/25 at 3:47 p.m. ET: Additional comments from Khanna were added.
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