The House Oversight Committee voted 24-19 on Wednesday to issue a subpoena compelling Attorney General Pam Bondi to answer questions regarding the Justice Department's management of files related to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation. The motion was introduced by Republican Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and drew support from five Republicans alongside most Democrats — a bipartisan signal of deep frustration with how the DOJ has handled the release of Epstein-related documents.

The subpoena represents the latest chapter in a prolonged political saga. Bondi drew initial backlash when she distributed binders of Epstein materials to conservative influencers at the White House that contained no significant new revelations. Following a months-long review, the DOJ announced in July that no Epstein "client list" existed and that there was no basis to release additional files. That declaration provoked a sharp public reaction, eventually leading Congress to pass legislation requiring the DOJ to disclose the files. Since a first release in December, critics have accused the administration of mishandling the rollout and redacting too broadly — including instances where haphazard redactions exposed victims' intimate details and photographs.

The subpoena push intensified after news organizations reported that a major batch of DOJ records did not include FBI interview summaries with an unidentified woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted by both Epstein and Trump as a minor in the 1980s. Trump has not been charged with any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. The DOJ subsequently said it was investigating whether those documents had been improperly withheld. The Justice Department offered no immediate comment on the new subpoena.

Separately, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick agreed to testify before the same committee regarding his past ties to Epstein; the two men were former neighbors in New York City, and records showed their contact continued beyond the point when Lutnick has claimed he severed ties. Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton both recently gave depositions — Bill Clinton denying any wrongdoing, and Hillary Clinton stating she had no knowledge of Epstein's crimes.