Ex-attorney general refuses to answer questions on Trump's involvement in Epstein Files release

Former Attorney General Pam Bondi declined to answer questions about President Donald Trump's involvement in the release of government records related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Democratic lawmakers said Friday.

"I also personally asked the former AG five times in five different questions about her conversations with President Trump, whether he directed her at any given time on the Epstein Files, what he knew, (and) what he asked her to redact or not," Rep. Robert Garcia, the House Oversight Committee's top Democrat, said.

"She refused to answer any questions about President Trump. In fact, she said she would not speak or respond to any questions that had anything to do with President Trump," he added during remarks to reporters on Capitol Hill.

Rep. James Walkinshaw, a fellow Democrat on the committee, said Bondi told him she is "not certain of the extent of his knowledge" when asked whether Trump knew about Epstein's crimes before the government documents were made public.

"She had the opportunity to say Donald Trump certainly wasn't aware of those crimes. She had the opportunity to say, 'I know Donald Trump and if he was aware of those crimes, he would have done something. Instead, she said, 'I don't know,'" he said.

Trump has long sought to distance himself from Epstein, a one-time friend with whom he ran in the same social circles prior to a falling out.

Epstein died in custody at a New York detention facility in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy involving minors. He previously pled guilty in 2008 in the US state of Florida to soliciting and procuring minors for prostitution.