Democrats walk out of closed-door briefing with AG Bondi and Deputy AG Blanche on Epstein files

Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche arrived on Capitol Hill on March 18, 2026, for a closed-door briefing with members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Within half an hour, Democratic lawmakers walked out in protest. The briefing had been requested by the Justice Department to address bipartisan frustration over its handling of millions of files related to Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking investigation. Democratic Rep. Summer Lee challenged the briefing's purpose, saying Bondi "hasn't offered any information" about the Epstein investigation and the meeting had turned into "a hearing without the cameras." Every Democratic lawmaker on the committee walked out soon after. Outside, they told reporters the briefing was a "complete disrespect of the process." The committee's top Democrat, Rep. Robert Garcia, called it a "fake hearing" and said Bondi wasn't under oath and did not give an opening statement. Bondi was subpoenaed to appear for a sworn deposition on April 14.