The House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena to Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday, demanding her testimony in its investigation into the handling of sealed records related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to congressional sources familiar with the matter.
The move sets up what legal experts are calling a potential constitutional showdown over executive privilege and congressional oversight powers. Bondi, who has served as Attorney General since January, has until March 24 to comply with the subpoena or assert executive privilege, the committee said in a statement.
"This is fundamentally about whether Congress can conduct meaningful oversight of the Justice Department," said Representative Jamie Raskin, the committee's ranking Democrat. "The American people deserve answers about how these records were handled and why they remain sealed."
The subpoena comes amid mounting pressure on the Justice Department following reports that sealed court documents related to Epstein's associates remain under wraps despite his 2019 death in federal custody. According to Reuters, the committee is investigating whether political considerations influenced decisions about which records to release.
A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment on the subpoena but said the department "cooperates with appropriate congressional oversight." The statement did not address whether Bondi would invoke executive privilege, a tool that allows the executive branch to withhold information from Congress under certain circumstances.
Constitutional scholars say the dispute echoes similar confrontations between Congress and the executive branch during previous administrations. "What makes this different is the public interest element," said Stephen Vladeck, a constitutional law professor at the .
