Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse reacted with anger after Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the Justice Department's (DOJ) handling of the Epstein files during a combative House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
Marina Lacerda, one of many survivors, told NewsNation that the process left her and others feeling "dehumanized."
The hearing featured sharp exchanges between Bondi and Democrats over redactions in the trove of DOJ-released Epstein materials that exposed sensitive information about victims, while survivors looked on from the audience.
Survivors stood in the hearing room as Bondi faced questioning, a scene documented by Reuters photographers.
The DOJ's release of millions of pages from the Epstein case has drawn sustained criticism for redaction failures that revealed survivors' private information.
Bondi's appearance came as lawmakers from both parties pressed for answers on the files and on broader concerns about potential politicization at the DOJ under President Donald Trump, while survivors sought accountability and protection from further exposure.
The attorney general's tone and refusal to offer a direct apology for the files' redaction errors prompted immediate backlash from survivors and Democrats on the panel.
Bondi addressed survivors during her opening statement at the hearing, saying she was "deeply sorry" for what they suffered and that "any accusations of criminal wrongdoing will be taken seriously and investigated."
Pressed by Representative Pramila Jayapal to turn and face the survivors to apologize for the release of files that exposed private information, Bondi refused and accused Jayapal of "theatrics."
"I'm not going to get in the gutter with this woman," Bondi replied, after Jayapal criticized redactions that withheld names of "powerful predators" while exposing victims' details.
There were several survivors present in the hearing on Wednesday, with some pictured standing during the testimony.
"We expected more," Lacerda told NewsNation, noting, "she really dehumanized us today."
"I think she has become a circus act," Lacerda continued.
Marijke Chartouni, another Epstein survivor, said in a post shared by Attorney Aaron Parnas on social media, "Such a shame that AG Bondi's only contribution to this very serious matter was playground theatrics serving as obfuscations for her ineptitude."
The oversight hearing devolved into partisan clashes as Bondi repeatedly deflected Democrats' questions and launched counterattacks, while Republicans praised her leadership and sought to focus on crime and immigration.
There were several tense moments between Bondi and Democrats, including raised voices and Bondi telling Representative Jamie Raskin, the panel's top Democrat, "You don't tell me what to do!"
"Trump orders up prosecutions like pizza and you deliver every time," Raskin said.
During another exchange, Raskin said Bondi was "siding with the perpetrators and ignoring the victims," while Bondi mocked Democrats and defended President Trump's record.
Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who helped advance legislation that forced disclosure of the Epstein files, criticized Bondi over releases that exposed victims' personal information, telling her, "Literally the worst thing you could do to survivors, you did," the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Bondi responded that DOJ staff took down files when alerted to problems and did their "very best in the time frame allotted by the legislation," according to AP.
Republican Representative Jim Jordan praised Bondi's tenure and said DOJ had returned to its "core missions," while Bondi said violent crime was declining and cast the department’s work as focused on public safety.
When pressed by Democrats on items related to the Epstein files or the shooting deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota, Bondi lashed out and made remarks about individual states' crimes of note, sometimes making personal attacks.
No. After raising expectations of broad transparency in 2025, the DOJ said in July 2025 that it found no Epstein "client list" to release and saw no reason to publish additional files at that time.
Congress subsequently mandated disclosure, and DOJ released more than 3 million files with redactions; lawmakers in recent days reviewed unredacted versions in a secure reading room.
Despite the large volume released, many have called out sloppy or inconsistent redactions that exposed private survivor information, and the DOJ said it removed materials when made aware of problems and worked under statutory deadlines.
Marijke Chartouni, Epstein survivor, responds to Attorney General Bondi's hearing, shared by Attorney Aaron Parnas on social media: "The Epstein files transparency act is a non-partisan issue. It is not controversial, and it's supported by the President himself. Such a shame that AG Bondi's only contribution to this very serious matter was playground theatrics serving as obfuscations for her ineptitude."
Rep. Jamie Raskin, the committee's top Democrat, said in opening remarks to Bondi Wednesday: "You're siding with the perpetrators and you're ignoring the victims."
Bondi said in remarks addressing Epstein survivors on Wednesday: "Any accusations of criminal wrongdoing will be taken seriously and investigated."
Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, told Bondi Wednesday during the hearing: "Literally the worst thing you could do to survivors, you did."
Lawmakers are expected to continue reviewing unredacted Epstein materials in a secure setting and to press DOJ for safeguards to prevent further exposure of survivors' identities.
Bondi said the department would remove problematic documents when notified and maintain investigations where warranted, while Congress weighs additional oversight or legislative changes governing disclosure and victim privacy.