U.S. Representative Shri Thanedar announced Monday he will introduce articles of impeachment against Attorney General Pam Bondi, alleging she illegally withheld Jeffrey Epstein investigative files and used the Justice Department to target political opponents.
The Michigan Democrat's resolution accuses Bondi of "illegally withholding the Epstein files past the required deadline," attempting to coerce Minnesota into surrendering state voter files, and weaponizing the department "against Donald Trump's political opponents."
Thanedar characterized the actions as placing "loyalty to President Trump over her constitutional duty" in a statement released by his office.
The impeachment articles face steep political obstacles. With Republicans controlling the House 219-215, any impeachment effort requires near-unanimous Democratic support plus Republican defections—an outcome that appears highly unlikely given the party's current cohesion on most votes.
This marks Thanedar's third major impeachment effort since joining Congress. He previously introduced articles against President Trump in April 2025 and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in December 2025. Neither effort gained traction, with Democratic leadership actively discouraging the Trump impeachment and Republicans dismissing both as "dead on arrival."
The timing coincides with ongoing controversy over newly released Epstein documents that congressional investigators say the Justice Department delayed providing to oversight committees. The documents, released in batches over recent weeks, have revealed new details about Epstein's alleged sex trafficking network and his connections to prominent political and business figures.
Legal experts said the question of document redaction standards lies at the heart of Thanedar's allegations. DOJ procedures typically allow redactions to protect ongoing investigations, classified information, and victims' identities. However, congressional overseers have questioned whether Bondi exceeded those standards to shield politically sensitive information.
"There's a legitimate debate about how much deference Congress should give DOJ on document redactions," said one former federal prosecutor who requested anonymity to discuss internal department practices. "But turning that into an impeachable offense sets a very low bar."
Bondi has defended the department's handling of the Epstein files, stating that redactions were necessary to protect victims' privacy and ongoing law enforcement activities. She has not directly addressed Thanedar's impeachment articles.
The Justice Department issued a statement Sunday explaining that certain Epstein documents were taken down from public repositories "for victims' safety," according to reporting by Notus. The explanation came after criticism that the department removed materials that had been publicly accessible.
Thanedar represents Michigan's safely Democratic 13th District and faces four primary challengers in the August Democratic primary. His high-profile impeachment efforts have drawn mixed reactions from constituents, with some viewing them as principled oversight and others seeing political grandstanding.
As Americans like to say, "all politics is local"—and for Thanedar, the impeachment strategy may resonate with a progressive base in Detroit even as it faces certain defeat in the Republican-controlled House.
Neither House Democratic leadership nor the White House has commented on Thanedar's latest impeachment effort.
