Transcript: Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA10), Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA11) Question Pam Bondi About Trump and the Epstein Files

Of course, the May 29 interview by the House Oversight Committee of former AG Pam Bondi  SHOULD HAVE been videotaped, but the Republicans are hell bent on protecting Donald Trump with regard to his long involvement with Jeffrey Epstein, so instead we just got a transcription (click here for that).  Also, two of the members of the House Oversight Committee are Democrats from Virginia, namely Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA10) and Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA11); see below for their questions to Bondi, and her mostly evasive and/or sketchy responses. A few things that jumped out at me were:

• Bondi said she’d read through some of the Epstein files, but denied (implausibly) that she was ” looking for anything in particular” in those files. She then dodged Rep. Subramanyam’s followup questions, including, “Are you aware of any sort of effort at the Department or anywhere else in the administration” to “look through the files for President Trump’s name in particular.” Which, of course, they obviously did!  But Bondi claimed, laughably, that she didn’t “recall” any of that.  Total BULLSHIT, and obviously why she needs to be asked these same questions UNDER OATH, after Democrats take control of the US House – and hopefully US Senate – in November!
• Bondi basically just kept saying “I don’t recall” and/or “I would direct that to Todd Blanche” for all kinds of things she obviously should recall, and almost certainly DOES recall, including “the survivors have asked for their own files, meaning statements that they gave at the time they were interviewed. Do you have any awareness of this request?” Pathetic.
• Laughably, in response to Rep. Walkinshaw’s question to her (“it’s been reported, there is a whistleblower who came forward, there are documents that the media has cited saying, those reviewers were instructed to flag mentions of Donald Trump. You don’t have any knowledge of that?”), Bondi responded, “I have not seen — I have not heard of a whistleblower saying that. I have no knowledge of that.” Yep, definitely need to have Democrats take back the US House and get Bondi under oath next January.
• Also total b.s. by Bondi: “I don’t believe reviewers were asked to flag anything [related to Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein], to my knowledge.”
• This exchange between Rep. Walkinshaw and Bondi was interesting and highly revealing. First, Walkinshaw asked her: “Deputy Attorney General Blanche went and spent a lot of time with Ghislaine Maxwell, but other figures close to Epstein not even ever interviewed by the FBI. Why didn’t you say to the FBI, y’all need to go interview some of these folks?” To that, Bondi responded, “You are mischaracterizing.” Rep. Walkinshaw: “I’m asking you a question.” Bondi: “No. You’re mischaracterizing something that you’ve stated was in a document.” Rep. Walkinshaw: “No, I’m asking you…why didn’t you, as a former prosecutor, a professional who understands these cases, look at it and say, ‘These folks who were in the inner circle of Epstein’s massive sex-trafficking ring were never even investigated. My boss, Donald Trump, ran on this issue. I’m going to make sure that they are questioned and interviewed so we can get to the  bottom of it”? Why didn’t you do that, Ms. Bondi?” Bondi’s response: “Deputy Attorney General Blanche interviewed Ghislaine Maxwell to see if she had evidence of any other crimes. To the best of my knowledge, that transcript is widely available.” On and on  with this evasive crap…Bondi falsely claims  “I’ve answered this multiple times,” Rep. Walkinshaw accurately responds, “You haven’t answered it. You don’t have an answer.” So…SUPERB job by Rep. Walkinshaw; can’t wait until next January, when he can ask these same questions to Bondi UNDER OATH!