Bipartisan Revolt Brews as Republicans Join Democrats in Threatening Pam Bondi Over Withheld Epstein Files
Representative Ro Khanna said Monday that a growing number of Republicans are open to holding Attorney General Pam Bondi accountable for the Justice Department’s failure to release all eligible files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein by a congressionally mandated deadline — including, potentially, through impeachment.
Speaking on Morning Joe on MSNBC, Khanna said the effort is gaining bipartisan traction, noting that Thomas Massie would take a leading role if impeachment proceedings were pursued. “There are a few Republicans who are on board with it,” Khanna said, stressing that the push would not begin with impeachment but with an attempt to hold Bondi in contempt of Congress.
The controversy centers on the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a bipartisan law passed overwhelmingly by both chambers of Congress in November. The statute required the Department of Justice to release all unclassified Epstein-related files within 30 days, allowing only limited redactions to protect victims or ongoing investigations.
That deadline passed Friday without a full release. While the DOJ published thousands of pages of documents, lawmakers and transparency advocates argue that large portions of the material were withheld and that many of the released files were heavily redacted. Khanna and Massie, who co-sponsored the legislation, accused the department of violating both the letter and the spirit of the law.
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Khanna said Republican involvement distinguishes this moment from past Democratic threats against officials in President Donald Trump’s administration. “If it was just Democrats saying this, it would be dismissed as partisan,” he said. “This is different because it’s Republicans too — and Thomas Massie leading it.”
As an initial step, Khanna and Massie are pushing for inherent contempt of Congress, a rarely used mechanism that could impose daily fines on Bondi until the remaining documents are released. In a joint appearance on Face the Nation Sunday, the two lawmakers said they are actively building bipartisan support for the move.
“The quickest and most expeditious way to get justice for these victims is to bring inherent contempt against Pam Bondi,” Massie said. Khanna added that the goal would be to pressure the DOJ into compliance rather than immediately escalate to impeachment.
Bondi has defended the department’s actions, saying the DOJ remains committed to protecting Epstein’s victims and pursuing anyone involved in their exploitation. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has said additional materials will be released as reviews and redactions continue, consistent with the law.
Despite those assurances, Khanna said he and Massie are already preparing draft articles of impeachment should the DOJ continue to delay. “We’re not dropping them right away,” Khanna said on a podcast Monday. “But we’re ready.”
The DOJ is expected to release additional Epstein-related documents in the coming days. Whether that will be enough to defuse bipartisan anger on Capitol Hill — or prevent a historic contempt vote or impeachment push — remains an open question.
