The Justice Department appeared to think it had found a way out of the Epstein files chaos. Just two weeks after former Attorney General Pam Bondi was fired, officials moved to block her from testifying under oath before Congress — arguing that because she no longer holds the position, she is n o longer bound by the subpoena issued while she was still in office. (L-R) US Representative Ro Khanna, Democrat of California, US Representative Thomas Massie, Republican of Kentucky and US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia speak during a press conference on the “Epstein Files Transparency Act” at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on November 18, 2025. (Photo by DANIEL HEUER / AFP via Getty Images) The timing raised immediate questions. Bondi had been scheduled to testify about her handling of millions of pages tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in a deposition lawmakers from both parties had been pushing for as frustration grew over what they see as an incomplete and heavily redacted release of the files. To some on Capitol Hill, the move looked less like a legal technicality and more like an attempt to sidestep accountability altogether. ‘We Are So Cooked’: Trump Drops Cryptic All-Caps Message Ahead of Peace Talks Like He’s in Control As New Warning Signals Something Much Worse for Americans But if the administration believed that would quiet things down, it didn’t last long. Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche stepped into the role projecting confidence, praising Bondi’s tenure and signaling a desire to move forward. Instead, he walked straight into the same storm and lawmakers were already waiting. Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie wasted no time putting Blanche on notice. “Congratulations AG Blanche. Now you have 30 days to release the rest of the files before becoming criminally liable for failure to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act,” Massie said bluntly in a post on X. Massie, along with California Democrat Ro Khanna, co-authored the legislation that mandated the release of all Justice Department files related to the deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, and Trump signed it into law last year. Blanche, however, insisted there was nothing left to uncover. Congratulations AG Blanche. Now you have 30 days to release the rest of the files before becoming criminally liable for failure to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. https://t.co/LOcytrTXJV— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) April 3, 2026 During a tense exchange with a reporter at a Justice Department press conference, he pushed back on the idea that key information was being withheld. “Just to clarify, is the public going to learn the identities of the men who abused the girls with the information that you’re releasing, and if not, why not?” a journalist asked. Blanche shot back, “You just baked in an assumption into your question that I’ve never said and don’t know to be true. Is the public going to learn about men that abuse these girls and what does that mean? I don’t understand what that means.” Pressed further, he doubled down. “If we had information — we meaning the Department of Justice — about men who abused women, we would prosecute them,” Blanche said. “That is not the case.” But critics say that claim doesn’t square with the facts. It took an act of Congress to force the release of the files in the first place. Even then, millions of pages remain undisclosed, and many of the documents that have been released are heavily redacted and often identify victims while obscuring alleged perpetrators. Q: Is the public going to learn the identities of the men who abused the girls in the Epstein files?Acting AG Todd Blanche: Like, what does that mean? I don't understand what that means. pic.twitter.com/CkKLHaWcDU— FactPost (@factpostnews) April 2, 2026 Blanche later took to Fox News to defend the administration’s handling of the situation, insisting the department had been fully transparent. “We have made every single congressman, senator available to come and see any document, redacted, unredacted, that they want,” he said. He also made clear he wants to move on. “To the extent the Epstein files were a part of the last year of this Justice Department, it should not be a part of anything going forward,” Blanche added. That stance was quickly challenged. “This is a lie,” California Rep. Robert Garcia fired back. “About 50% of the files have been released and per our subpoena it’s illegal to withhold them.” Much like Massie, Garcia has no plans to back down. “Blanche may think it’s over, but we are just getting started,” he warned. This is a lie. About 50% of the files have been released and per our subpoena it’s illegal to withhold them. Blanche may think it’s over, but we are just getting started. https://t.co/U19GKzR9Eg— Congressman Robert Garcia (@RepRobertGarcia) April 3, 2026 The dispute now circles back to Bondi and whether the administration can actually keep her off the witness stand. In a letter to Congress, the Justice Department argued that Bondi is no longer obligated to comply with the subpoena issued while she was attorney general, effectively asking lawmakers to withdraw it. But lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are rejecting that argument outright. Rep. Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican who supported compelling Bondi’s testimony, didn’t mince words. “A Department of Justice with nothing to hide doesn’t avoid a subpoena,” she said. Democrats have been even more direct. “It is shameful that Pam Bondi is still trying to protect powerful men and their connections to Jeffrey Epstein,” members of the House Oversight Committee said in a joint statement, accusing her of defying Congress. Garcia has gone further, warning that the subpoena still applies regardless of her job status and that failure to comply could lead to criminal contempt charges. “Legally, at the end of the day, if somebody is under subpoena, it doesn’t matter if they change jobs,” Garcia said in an interview with MS Now. “They’re still expected to appear before Congress.” “If she doesn’t come forward… then we will hold Pam Bondi in contempt.” That looming confrontation threatens to keep the Epstein files controversy alive, even as the administration tries to move past it. And for Blanche, what may have looked like a reset is quickly turning into something else entirely — a continuation of the same battle, with pressure building from both parties and no clear off-ramp in sight. ‘That’s a Lie!’: After Bondi’s Embarrasing Exit, Trump’s AG Thought the Epstein Chaos Was Dying Down — Then Massie Fires Off a Brutal Shot That Instantly Has Them Scrambling Again ...read more read less