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South Carolina Republican Rep. Nancy Mace on Wednesday said former Attorney General Pam Bondi should be held in contempt of Congress if she refuses to comply with a subpoena related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
Mace’s comments came after the Department of Justice informed House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer that Bondi would not appear for a scheduled April 14 deposition.
Mace, who introduced the motion to subpoena Bondi, said the committee expects her testimony to be rescheduled.
“We expect Pam Bondi’s deposition to be rescheduled in a timely fashion. Our motion made clear the Committee must issue a subpoena to Pam Bondi, not the occupant of the office of Attorney General of the United States,” Mace wrote on X.
“Coordinate with her personal attorney, issue an updated subpoena if necessary. But if Pam Bondi continues to refuse to comply, she should be held in contempt,” she added.
Mace added a video in another post calling for Bondi to testify outside of her capacity as attorney general.
“Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee issue a subpoena to the Honorable Pamela Jo Bondi to appear before the Committee for a deposition regarding the Department’s handling of the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and his associates and compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act,” she wrote. “Notice our motion says ‘Pamela Jo Bondi.’ ‘Attorney General’ or ‘in her capacity as Attorney General’ are no where to be found.”
In a letter to Comer, Assistant Attorney General Patrick Davis argued that Bondi is no longer obligated to appear because she has been removed from her position.
“Ms. Bondi no longer holds that office. As a result, because Ms. Bondi no longer can testify in her official capacity as Attorney General, the Department’s position is that the subpoena no longer obligates her to appear,” Davis wrote.
Democrats on the panel have rejected that argument, noting the subpoena was issued to Bondi personally, not solely in her official capacity. They also pointed to precedent, including testimony from former Attorney General Bill Barr before Congress after leaving office.
If Bondi continues to decline, lawmakers could vote to hold her in contempt and refer the matter for possible criminal prosecution, a step that would require approval by the full House. Even then, any charges would ultimately be pursued at the discretion of the Justice Department.
