Reps. Khanna and Massie threaten bipartisan 'inherent contempt' charges against AG Bondi over Epstein files
Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie--the original co-sponsors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act--threatened to pursue 'inherent contempt' charges against Attorney General Pam Bondi for the DOJ's incomplete compliance with the law. Massie stated: 'The quickest way, and I think most expeditious way, to get justice for these victims is to bring inherent contempt against Pam Bondi.' Khanna added: 'If we don't get the remaining files... then Thomas Massie and I are prepared to move on impeachment or contempt.' The bipartisan threat came after the DOJ claimed compliance despite releasing only about half of the 6 million identified pages. Khanna noted the DOJ had withheld 'FBI 302 victim interview statements, a draft indictment and prosecution memorandum prepared during the 2007 Florida investigation, and hundreds of thousands of emails and files from Epstein's computers.' Deputy AG Todd Blanche dismissed the contempt threats, saying he doesn't take them seriously 'not even a little bit.' The bipartisan nature of the threat--with Republican Massie joining Democrat Khanna--underscored that the criticism of DOJ's handling transcended partisan lines, particularly as survivors documented thousands of redaction failures while key documents remained withheld.
“The quickest way, and I think most expeditious way, to get justice for these victims is to bring inherent contempt against Pam Bondi” — Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, co-sponsor of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, threatening bipartisan congressional action against Trump's Attorney General Quote verified against source
Analysis Feed
AI commentaryThe bipartisan contempt threat represents the rare convergence of Democratic and Republican lawmakers against Trump's DOJ on the Epstein issue. Massie--a Republican who co-authored the Epstein Files Transparency Act--joining with Khanna demonstrates that the criticism of DOJ's selective compliance transcends partisan lines. Blanche's dismissive response ('not even a little bit') to contempt threats from the law's own authors reveals his confidence that Trump's DOJ operates above congressional accountability. The pattern is consistent: when Congress mandates transparency (the law), Trump's DOJ claims compliance while withholding key documents (FBI 302s, 2007 prosecution memo); when lawmakers threaten consequences (contempt), Trump's officials dismiss them. The question is whether Congress will follow through or whether the threat, like so many before it, will dissolve into performative outrage.