'Made a mockery of the DOJ': Democrats go after Kash Patel and Todd Blanche over Epstein cover-up

Rep. Robert Garcia has written to Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer demanding that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel face transcribed interviews over the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. The demand follows former Attorney General Pam Bondi's testimony last week, in which she repeatedly pointed to the pair as those responsible for Ghislaine Maxwell's preferential treatment, the redaction of Epstein files, and the fumbled rollout of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

"These agency leaders were directly involved in the cover-up of the Epstein files and the botched release of documents, which re-victimized survivors and made a mockery of our Justice Department," Garcia said. He noted that when Bondi was unable to answer basic questions during her testimony, she fell back on the claim that she had delegated oversight of the entire process to Blanche.

The ranking Democrat on the committee also pointed out that Bondi repeatedly named Patel for his role in the collection and release of Epstein-related materials; "...was involved in locating, reviewing, and possibly redacting FBI records relating to Jeffrey Epstein. Ms. Bondi even raised concerns that the FBI had previously withheld material from the DOJ," part of the letter read.

It appears that Pam Bondi's testimony did not close the Epstein file; it reopened it, with Blanche's name invoked more than 30 times as the man responsible for the botched document release, Maxwell's irregular transfer, and the redactions that shielded powerful names from public scrutiny. If Blanche and Patel are brought in, their testimony could either confirm a coordinated cover-up at the highest levels of the DOJ or expose who ultimately made the call to allegedly bury the files.

In his letter, Garcia writes that the committee cannot continue its investigation without Blanche and Patel's videotaped, transcribed testimony. "A closed-door, off-the-record briefing will not suffice for either of these officials, and any refusal by the federal government to produce these officials for interviews must be met with compulsory process," he averred.

The California Democrat asserted that Epstein's survivors are entitled to transparency into the government's handling of the Epstein files, and they deserve to view the interviews on video released by the committee. "Anything less would amount to another effort to protect DOJ's central decision-makers from accountability, deny justice to Epstein's survivors, and conceal the truth from the American people," he concluded.

It remains to be seen whether the pair is subpoenaed, but the move is likely to resonate with a public that has grown deeply skeptical of how the Trump administration has handled the Epstein investigation. A February poll found net approval of Trump's handling of the case sitting at -33, with 57% of Americans disapproving and just 24% in favour.