US Attorney General Bondi formally summoned to Congress in Epstein case

A US congressional committee has formally summoned Attorney General Pam Bondi, demanding that she answer questions over her handling of the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, James Comer, wrote in the subpoena letter that his committee is investigating the "possible mismanagement" of the investigation.

The move comes weeks after Nancy Mace, a Republican lawmaker, introduced a motion to subpoena Bondi and accused the justice department of a "cover-up" in releasing the Epstein files.

A justice department spokesperson described the subpoena as "completely unnecessary".

Bondi and the Trump administration have faced growing pressure across the political spectrum to release all documents related to the probe.

"The Committee has questions regarding the Department of Justice's handling of the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and his associates and its compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act," Comer wrote in the letter.

The justice department has also faced criticism over its handling of the files, including failing to redact the names of Epstein's victims.

"As Attorney General, you are directly responsible for overseeing the Department's collection, review, and determinations regarding the release of files pursuant to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and the Committee therefore believes that you possess valuable insight into these efforts," he said of Bondi. Bondi has been asked to appear on 14 April.

Last November, Trump signed into law legislation passed by Congress compelling the justice department to release all material from its investigations into Epstein.

But after millions of documents were released, the agency faced bipartisan backlash, with lawmakers accusing it of failing to obscure some identifying information about survivors while protecting the identities of those who were not victims.

The justice department said it had continued to provide policymakers with the facts.

"This subpoena is completely unnecessary," the justice department told the BBC on Tuesday. "Lawmakers have been invited to view the unredacted files for themselves at the Department of Justice, and the Attorney General has always made herself available to speak directly with members of Congress."

Should Bondi appear - she has not said otherwise - she will join a growing list of high-profile names to testify before the House Oversight Committee.

Former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, appeared before the committee last month.