Rep. Massie says he doesn't have confidence in Bondi as attorney general

[ad_1] Republican Rep. Thomas Massie stated Sunday that he didn't approve of how Lawyer Normal Pam Bondi performed herself over the Division of Justice's launch of recordsdata associated to intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein in a combative listening to earlier than the Home Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

"I do not suppose she did very nicely," Massie advised ABC Information' "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz. "She got here with a e book filled with insults, one for every congressperson. She clearly had one for me."

Requested by Raddatz if he had confidence in Bondi, Massie stated he did not suppose Bondi had confidence in herself.

"She wasn't assured sufficient to interact in something however name-calling in a listening to," Massie stated. "So no, I haven't got confidence in her. She hasn't received any form of accountability there on the DOJ."

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., seems on ABC Information' "This Week" on Feb. 15, 2026.

ABC Information

Throughout Massie's line of questioning in Wednesday's listening to, Bondi stated the congressman had "Trump derangement syndrome," an assault President Donald Trump often wages in opposition to those that criticize him.

At one other level, Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal requested the group of Epstein victims sitting behind Bondi to lift their hand in the event that they haven't been capable of meet with Bondi's Justice Division. The entire survivors current raised their hand. Bondi didn't flip to take a look at these victims, even after Jayapal requested her to, calling it "theatrics."

Massie known as Bondi's determination to not have a look at the survivors "chilly" and stated that he thought she was "afraid" to take action.

Wednesday's listening to got here after the Justice Division launched over 3 million pages of recordsdata from the Epstein case. The discharge of the recordsdata has triggered a wave of criticism and resignations the world over. Within the U.S., a number of highly effective figures have been named -- however not accused of wrongdoing -- within the newest file launch.

Massie has accused the Justice Division of exposing sufferer identities in some instances whereas over-redacting highly effective males and doable co-conspirators to Epstein's intercourse trafficking operation in others.

"[Bondi] admitted that 40 minutes after I identified to the DOJ that they'd over redacted a few of the paperwork, they did unredact these paperwork," Massie stated. "It is clear that their work just isn't achieved right here but."

Shortly after the discharge of the recordsdata, the Justice Division final week allowed members of Congress to view variations of the recordsdata with fewer redactions.

After reviewing the paperwork, Massie claimed the DOJ had improperly redacted info from an undated doc that appeared to include 20 names and corresponding pictures.

Lawyer Normal Pam Bondi testifies earlier than the Home Judiciary Committee, February 11, 2026 in Washington.

Roberto Schmidt/AFP through Getty Pictures

Within the publicly out there model of the doc posted to the DOJ web site, the one two names and photographs initially seen have been these of Epstein and Maxwell.

After Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, who has led the hassle for the discharge of the recordsdata with Massie, expressed considerations concerning the redactions, Massie wrote in an X put up Tuesday that the DOJ "promptly unredacted the boys's names in addition to a number of girls within the checklist that we did not flag."

Massie additionally posted the less-redacted model of the doc, which contained a further 16 unredacted names of each women and men.

Khanna then learn the names of the 4 males listed on the doc on the ground of the Home whereas additionally calling out the DOJ for redactions to different particular paperwork that hid the names of Leslie Wexner and Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, whose names seem unredacted a whole lot of occasions elsewhere within the DOJ disclosures.

Sulayem, the billionaire CEO of logistics large DP World, resigned following the disclosure of his communications with Epstein "efficient instantly," the corporate stated in an announcement. An organization spokesperson didn't reply to a request for remark from ABC Information.

A authorized consultant for Wexner advised ABC Information, "The Assistant U.S. Lawyer advised Mr. Wexner’s authorized counsel in 2019 that Mr. Wexner was neither a co-conspirator nor goal the least bit. Mr. Wexner cooperated absolutely by offering background info on Epstein and was by no means contacted once more."

After the Guardian reported Friday that the DOJ stated the 4 males named on the Home flooring have been a part of a photograph lineup organized by federal prosecutors and had "no obvious connection to Epstein," Khanna put the blame on the DOJ.

"I want DOJ had offered that rationalization earlier as an alternative of redacting their names. They've failed to guard survivors, created confusion for harmless males, and have protected wealthy and highly effective abusers," he posted on X. "We will need to have full transparency."

Deputy Lawyer Normal Todd Blanche meets with reporters because the Justice Division pronounces the discharge of three million pages of paperwork within the newest Jeffrey Epstein disclosure in Washington, Jan. 30, 2026.

J. Scott Applewhite/AP

In a written assertion to ABC Information, Khanna contended that the DOJ "failed to offer any rationalization for his or her arbitrary redactions" to the paperwork after which eliminated the redactions "with out explaining the context that Massie and I had requested for."

"It is unhappy that the DOJ has created confusion that has protected the wealthy and highly effective, uncovered survivors, and uncovered males not concerned with Epstein's crimes," Khanna stated.

Deputy Lawyer Normal Todd Blanche on Friday stated in a put up on X that Massie and Khanna "compelled the unmasking of fully random individuals chosen years in the past for an FBI lineup- women and men."

Requested by Raddatz about Blanche's accusation, Massie stated Blanche had unredacted the names however did not present any context round them.

"Effectively, three hours earlier than Todd Blanche himself unredacted these names, I advised him in an X put up -- which I do know he learn as a result of he reposted it -- that these could also be males in a lineup. After which I went on TV and stated, 'These could also be males in a lineup.' And it was really the DOJ who launched these names, which is okay, however they omitted the context that I offered, which is these could also be in a lineup.

Representatives Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna arrive on the Division of Justice workplace constructing to view unredacted Jeffrey Epstein recordsdata, in Washington, D.C., Feb. 9, 2026.

Kent Nishimura/Reuters

On Saturday, Bondi and Blanche despatched a six-page report, obtained by ABC Information, to the chairmen and prime Democrats on the Senate and Home judiciary committees offering a proof for redactions that included an inventory of presidency officers and “politically uncovered individuals” referenced within the launched recordsdata.

“Names seem within the recordsdata launched beneath the Act in all kinds of contexts. For instance, some people had intensive direct e mail contact with Epstein or Maxwell whereas different people have been talked about solely in a portion of a doc (together with press reporting) that on its face is unrelated to the Epstein and Maxwell issues,” the report stated.

The report doesn't present context for these listed in it. The checklist of people contains President Donald Trump, present administration officers, former presidents, musicians, popular culture figures, lawmakers and Britain’s royal household.

Massie stated he nonetheless just isn't happy.

"I do know the DOJ desires to say they're achieved with this doc manufacturing. The issue is that they've taken down paperwork earlier than we have been capable of go over to the DOJ and have a look at the unredacted variations," Massie stated.

Massie, who largely votes with Trump, stated that he thought Merrick Garland, former President Joe Biden's legal professional normal, carried out higher when it comes to optics when he appeared earlier than the committee.