Five Republicans on the House oversight committee joined with Democrats to subpoena the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, as part of the ongoing investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
The House oversight committee voted 24-19 to approve a motion introduced by Republican representative Nancy Mace to compel Bondi to testify. In addition to Mace, Republican representatives Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Michael Cloud of Texas, and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania voted for the motion.
The motion comes amid growing criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle of the Department of Justice’s failures regarding the Epstein files, including accidentally releasing the names of survivors and redacting, without explanation, the names of people who may have committed crimes.
Directly related articles with more info:
House Panel Votes to Subpoena Pam Bondi Over Epstein Files – NYT
Archive.today link (archive.org doesn’t return article)
Pam Bondi Subpoenaed By GOP-Led House Oversight Committee – Mediaite
I don’t think Republican congresscritters are suddenly growing a spine or developing a conscience – I think they’re concerned about the midterms.
The vast, vast majority of voters want the Epstein files fully released and the perpetrators punished. Any congressman whose voting record shows that they’re against this happening is going to have a difficult time in the midterm elections. So they’re scrambling to do some performative nonsense to show that they’re on the ‘right side’ of this. But nothing of actual substance will come of it if they can help it.
However, this might still be an exploitable opportunity. They really don’t want their name next to a recorded ‘no’ vote on anything that would force release of the files. So Dems need to be pushing hard to hold votes on these topics and soon, before the midterms. Because after the midterms, I bet a lot of these Republicans are going to go right back to their obstructionist ways.
Absolutely. I hope I didn’t convey that I think they’re doing it out of conscience. I think they’re doing it because they know they are fucking LOATHED, and some of them may even be starting to understand the changing proximity of pitchforks.
There is no doubt whatsoever they’d be shoving this back in the congressional closets if they could.