(The Hill) — Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Tuesday that Attorney General Pam Bondi needs to explain her statements regarding Jeffrey Epstein after the Department of Justice announced it would not make any more disclosures in the case of the disgraced financier.
The statement marks a notable break from President Donald Trump, who has stood by his attorney general and urged his supporters to drop the matter, even as Johnson stressed that he trusts the president.
In an interview Tuesday with conservative influencer and commentator Benny Johnson, the Speaker was asked about the prospect of Ghislaine Maxwell — Epstein’s one-time girlfriend who was convicted for trafficking young girls — testifying before Congress, or the prospect of subpoenaing documents from the Department of Justice about the matter.
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“I’m for transparency,” Speaker Johnson responded. “We’re intellectually consistent in this. Look, [former President] Reagan used tell us, we should trust the American people, and I believe in that principle, and I know President Trump does as well. I trust him. I mean, he put together a team of his choosing, and they’re doing a great job. It’s a very delicate subject, but we should put everything out there and let the people decide it.”
“The White House and the White House team are privy to facts that I don’t know. I mean, this isn’t my lane, I haven’t been involved in that. But I agree with the sentiment that we need to put it out there,” he continued.
The Louisiana Republican referenced Bondi’s statement from earlier this year in which she said on Fox News that an Epstein client list was “sitting on my desk right now for review” — a quote that those angry with her subsequent move against disclosure have repeatedly referenced. Bondi has since said she was referring to the Epstein case files more generally, not a specific “client list.”
“She needs to come forward and explain that to everybody,” Johnson said. “I like Pam. I mean, think she’s done a good job. We need the DOJ [Department of Justice] focusing on the major priorities, so let’s get this thing resolved so that they can deal with violent crime and public safety and election integrity and going after ActBlue and the things the president is most concerned about, as we are.”
The Justice Department and FBI asserted in a memo last week that Epstein’s death was a suicide and that he did not have a client list. Officials declined to release any more details, saying information under seal “served only to protect victims and did not expose any additional third-parties to allegations of illegal wrongdoing.”
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That decision enraged many conservatives, who have long viewed the Epstein matter as a case of the rich and powerful covering up horrendous crimes and had hoped Trump would release more information on the case.
While the Speaker is usually in lockstep with Trump on major issues, his statement marks an unusual departure from the president’s line.
Trump has urged his supporters to drop the Epstein matter. On Tuesday, he said the Epstein files were “made up” by Democrats, and said Bondi has handled the situation “very well.”
But the conservative base’s fury has persisted, causing worry — and frustration — among Republicans.
“I’m anxious to get this behind us,” Johnson said, lamenting that “we’re having to spend our time talking about this” after Congress sent Trump’s major tax and spending legislation to his desk. “Let’s get it resolved.”
“What Epstein was involved in was an unspeakable evil. We need to stand against it not just in word, but in deed,” Johnson said.
“I do trust the president. I know his heart and his head is in the right place. I don’t question that at all. And I’m convinced they’re going to sort this out.”
