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“A partial release of these files by the DOJ riddled with improper redactions that expose the vulnerable and shield the powerful from accountability is not justice. It is injustice.”
Criticism for the Department of Justice's handling of the Epstein files, straight from the voice of survivor Liz Stein.
She's among a group of victim-survivors and legal representatives demanding transparency and justice for the more than one thousand identified victims of late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
There's been sharp criticism over the Department's handling of the more than 3 million files released, after some names of alleged perpetrators were redacted while other victims' names were exposed.
Now, Attorney General Pam Bondi has been forced to answer to a Senate Committee in what quickly turned into a combative congressional hearing.
“I am deeply sorry for what any victim, any victim has been through, especially as a result of that monster. If you have any information to share with law enforcement about anyone who has hurt you or abused you, the FBI is waiting to hear from you. I want you to know that any accusations of criminal wrongdoing will be taken seriously and investigated.”
The top Democrat on the panel, Jamie Raskin, made a scathing analogy in his opening statement.
“You've turned the People's Department of Justice into Trump's instrument of revenge. Trump orders up prosecutions like pizza, and you deliver every time.”
At one point, victims in the room all stood and raised their hands, as Democratic Senator Pramila Jayapal asked for a show of survivors who had yet been unable to meet with the Department of Justice.
The Attorney General and Ms Jayapal then engaged in a heated exchange, as Ms Jayapal demanded Ms Bondi apologise to the victims for how the files have been managed.
JAYAPAL: "No, I'm going to reclaim my time because I asked you a specific question that I would like you to answer which is will you turn to the survivors? This is not about anybody that came before you, it is about you taking responsibility For your Department of Justice and the harm that it has done to the survivors who are standing right behind you and are waiting for you to turn to them and apologize for what your Department of Justice is doing.
CHAIRMAN JIM JORDAN: "Members get to ask the questions, the witness get to answer in the way they want to answer.”
The Attorney-General was unwilling to back down.
JAYAPAL: "Thank you. You're not going to answer this question, so let me just say that what a massive cover-up."
BONDI: "I'm not going to get in a gutter with this woman. She's doing theatrics.”
The new law passed in November to order the release of all the Epstein files did allow for some limited redaction to protect the identities of victims.
But critics argue that a raft of documents have been published with heavy redactions - some shielding the identity of powerful figures involved with Epstein.
Even some Republicans are critical, including Thomas Massie, who has been involved in un-redacting names of those not protected in the files.
He told Ms Bondi he wanted to know who was responsible for the redactions and whether anybody will be held accountable for the failure.
It's been a tumultuous year for the attorney general, who has overseen the firing of career prosecutors and FBI officials who worked on Capitol riot cases or Trump investigations, all while her department has been hit by a mass exodus of attorneys.
But Ms Bondi has been as adamant in her defence of the Department, as she has for President Donald Trump, who initially reneged on his election promise by avoiding the release of evidence.
Congressman Ted Lui [[loo]] raised questions around the level of President Trump's association with Epstein.
TED LUI: "Like former Prince Andrew, Donald Trump attended various parties with Jeffrey Epstein. I want to know, were there any underage girls at that party or at any party that Trump attended with Jeffrey Epstein?"
BONDI: "This is so ridiculous and that they are trying to deflect from all the great things Donald Trump has done. There is no evidence that Donald Trump has committed a crime. Everyone knows that. This has been the most transparent presidency. He's the one that asked that those files be released..”
But transparent isn't how many survivors would describe the investigation.
Laura Blume McGee calling it a betrayal.
“That courage should never cost us our safety, our privacy, or our right to heal. Our current system does the opposite. The people who have harmed us, they are hidden while survivors have been exposed. Abusers' names and contact information is redacted while our faces and stories are left on full display. This is not protection. This is betrayal. It hands power back to the abuser and further strips survivors of our dignity.”
