A Republican lawmaker, Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, accused Attorney General Pam Bondi of concealing names of powerful associates of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday. Massie highlighted the redaction of billionaire Leslie Wexner’s name in an FBI document listing potential co-conspirators in Epstein’s sex trafficking investigation.
Bondi defended the Justice Department, noting Wexner’s name appeared in other released files and was unredacted within 40 minutes of Massie raising the issue. The hearing turned heated, with Bondi clashing with multiple lawmakers, and several Epstein victims observing proceedings from the gallery.
The Justice Department released a final tranche of more than 3 million pages of documents last month, drawing scrutiny over wealthy and influential individuals associated with Epstein. Lawmakers criticized the extensive redactions, arguing they exceeded limits set by a recent congressional law. Bondi claimed over 500 DOJ lawyers reviewed the material on a tight timeline, and any inadvertent disclosure of victims’ identities was unintentional.
Wexner, founder of Victoria’s Secret-owner L Brands, employed Epstein as his personal money manager starting in the 1980s but has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s criminal acts and is not accused of wrongdoing.
The hearing reflects ongoing tensions over Justice Department transparency and its handling of sensitive files related to Epstein, amid broader concerns about politicization of the department under the Trump administration.
