Rep. Ro Khanna said Monday that some Republicans may support efforts to impeach Attorney General Pam Bondi over the Department of Justice’s failure to release all files related to Jeffrey Epstein by a congressionally mandated deadline.
Khanna said the Justice Department did not fully comply with the disclosure requirements, raising concerns among lawmakers about transparency and oversight.
Khanna said that Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) would lead the effort if impeachment proceedings were pursued. Speaking during an interview on Morning Joe, Khanna said that “there are a few Republicans who are on board with it.”
He added, however, that impeachment would not be the initial step, saying lawmakers would first seek to hold Bondi in contempt of Congress as a means of pressuring the Justice Department to comply with document requests.
Democrats have repeatedly raised the prospect of impeaching officials serving in President Donald Trump’s administration, though such efforts have faced long odds in the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives, Newsweek reported.
Any support from Republican lawmakers for an impeachment effort would mark a notable shift, but it remains unclear whether such an initiative could gain sufficient traction to advance.
Bondi and the Trump administration have received substantial bipartisan criticism for their management of the release of the Epstein files. The full release was required after both the House and Senate passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November, garnering strong support from both Democrats and Republicans, Newsweek added.
The legislation required the files to be released within 30 days with only limited redactions. When the deadline passed Friday, the Department of Justice did not release all of the required materials, and many of the documents that were made public contained extensive redactions.
Khanna and Massie, who co-sponsored and advanced the bipartisan measure, criticized the Justice Department’s handling of the release over the weekend. Other lawmakers and political commentators also raised concerns about the scope and timing of the disclosures, said the outlet.
Speaking Monday on MS NOW’s “Morning Joe,” Khanna said that any potential effort to impeach Bondi would draw bipartisan support, arguing that the circumstances differ from previous impeachment efforts involving officials in President Donald Trump’s administration.
“It’s different because it’s coming from Republicans, too. If it was just me out there or [Democratic Congressman] Robert Garcia out there, it would be seen as, OK, this is just a Democratic thing. This is going to be Thomas Massie leading it,” he claimed.
“There are a few Republicans who are on board with it. But we’re not going straight to impeachment. We’re starting with contempt,” Khanna said. “And the idea would be that you’d get a 30-day grace period, which is already in violation of the law, 30 day grace period to get the documents out.”
During a joint appearance on CBS News’ Face the Nation on Sunday, Khanna and Massie announced their intention to hold Bondi in inherent contempt of Congress, which could result in a daily fine, Newsweek noted.
“We only need the House for inherent contempt, and we’re building a bipartisan coalition,” Khanna said. “And it would fine Pam Bondi for every day that she’s not releasing these documents.”
Massie added, “The quickest way, and I think most expeditious way, to get justice for these victims is to bring inherent contempt against Pam Bondi.”
Bondi said on the X platform on Sunday: “The Department of Justice previously stated we will bring charges against anyone involved in the trafficking and exploitation of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims. We reaffirm this commitment, and ask any victim to please come forward with any information pertaining to any individuals who engaged in illicit activity at their expense. We have met with many victims and victims groups, and will continue to do so if more reach out. Please contact myself, DAG Blanche, or the FBI and we will investigate immediately. We believe in the equal standard of justice in this country and will ensure that Justice is served.”
