Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., said Friday on Newsmax that former Attorney General Pam Bondi "missed" opportunities on the Jeffrey Epstein files, suggesting that frustration over the records helped drive President Donald Trump's decision to remove her from the Justice Department's top post.
Trump announced Bondi's dismissal Thursday and said that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche would serve as acting attorney general, marking a major Cabinet shake-up that comes after months of scrutiny over the administration's handling of records related to convicted sex offender Epstein.
Moore, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said on "Wake Up America" that Bondi's exit appeared to reflect more than one issue inside the DOJ.
"Well, you know, I think it's probably a couple of different pieces and parts to the puzzle," Moore said, pointing first to what Republicans have long described as the politicization of federal law enforcement during the prosecutions brought against Trump before his return to the White House.
The DOJ was weaponized "against President Trump, and Todd Blanche kind of defended him in the Jack Smith trial," Moore said.
Moore then tied Bondi's departure directly to the Epstein controversy, which has drawn criticism from both Democrats and Republicans and victims' advocates who say the department's disclosures were incomplete and poorly handled.
"And you couple that with the Epstein files. And I think, [in] many ways, there are some things that Pam has missed … [so] there's an opportunity for us to bring somebody in," Moore said.
He added, "We'd like to see some movement on some of that. And I think that it's time for a change to see if we get somebody in there that can handle that."
The Epstein files have shadowed Bondi for months after the DOJ released records under a transparency law but faced backlash over redactions, the pace of disclosure, and questions about whether all relevant material had been turned over.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., subpoenaed Bondi last month for a closed-door deposition set for April 14 as part of the committee's investigation into the department's handling of the Epstein materials.
Asked whether Bondi should still be required to appear now that she is no longer attorney general, Moore signaled skepticism while leaving the decision to Comer.
"You know, probably not," Moore said.
He added that the committee could still seek information related to Epstein or the broader conduct of DOJ and federal law enforcement agencies.
"There may be some information that we need as we're investigating Epstein," Moore said.
Moore also broadened his criticism beyond Bondi, saying public trust in federal agencies has eroded.
"I think the weaponization of the DOJ, the FBI, the CIA, those agencies, what they've done to the Justice Department … they have undermined the trust of the American people," he said.
Blanche, who previously represented Trump in criminal cases before joining the DOJ, now steps into the acting role of attorney general as the White House weighs a permanent replacement.
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Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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