WASHINGTON, D.C. — A major shakeup at the Department of Justice Thursday, less than one month after former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was fired.
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s firing also comes less than two weeks before she was scheduled for a deposition on the Epstein files. She was subpoenaed by the Republican-led House Oversight Committee to appear for the deposition on Capitol Hill April 14.
“Chairman Comer has indicated he will address this issue with our Committee and the DOJ to determine the appropriate course of action, however I expect our investigation to continue uninterrupted and I remain committed to full transparency and justice,” Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., told our Washington Bureau.
Bondi had been criticized by both Democrats and some Republicans over the DOJ’s slow rollout of making the Epstein files public — especially after Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act last November.
That law required the DOJ to release all the files, except for certain, very narrow circumstances. The DOJ has yet to publicly release an estimated two million documents. Many of the more than three million files that have been released, contain heavily redacted portions. The redactions have also prompted criticism from lawmakers.
President Trump had reportedly grown more frustrated with Bondi recently — citing her handling of the Epstein files. Reports also suggest he was frustrated with what he viewed as a lack of prosecutions against his political opponents.
“Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year. Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country, with Murders plummeting to their lowest level since 1900. We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future,” read part of Trump’s post on Truth Social Thursday afternoon.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., also weighed in, calling Bondi “the wrong choice from the start.”
“But the rot at the Department of Justice begins and ends with Donald Trump. As long as his focus is on using DOJ as a tool for revenge and not law enforcement, the cover up of the Epstein files, along with the countless other problems at DOJ, will continue,” Schumer said on social media.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will step in as acting attorney general, for now, according to Trump. EPA Administrator and former New York Republican congressman Lee Zeldin is reportedly among the names the president is floating as Bondi’s replacement.
