Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) criticized a Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee decision to hold a closed-door session with former Attorney General Pam Bondi on the Epstein case.
According to her post on X, the hearing set for Friday in Washington, D.C., will include no cameras, no video recordings, no sworn oath, and no formal deposition — described instead as a private interview. The unusual restrictions have drawn significant online attention and divided reactions among users.
In the selfie-style video, filmed from what appears to be Albuquerque Sunport, Stansbury addresses viewers while traveling to Washington, D.C., ahead of the hearing. She argues that the planned format lacks transparency and questions why such a high-profile proceeding is being conducted behind closed doors.
While criticizing the hearing’s format, Stansbury says she and other lawmakers will continue pushing for answers on the Epstein case. The hearing was scheduled to take place the day after the video was posted.
Online Reactions to Rep. Stansbury’s Post on the Pam Bondi Epstein Hearing
The clip has sparked reactions online. Some users questioned the Republican approach, with one commenting, “Why are Republicans doing everything they can to protect pedophiles in the Epstein Files? ” Oh yeah, the leader of their party was Jeffrey Epstein’s wingman at the height of Jeffrey Epstein’s child abuse network,” and another saying, “Well then, WHY [expletive] do it?! If not under oath, she’s going to continue to lie. Would rather have her plead the 5th.”
Other commenters pointed to prior Democratic handling of the files, such as one noting, “I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again The Democrats had these files long ago, when they were charging Trump with anything they could think of, so, if anything truly incriminating were in these files, don’t you think the Democrats would have used them back then?” and another stating, “Who cares. Those files have been held by the Biden administration, and you didn’t care then.”
Further responses included criticism of the survivors and Stansbury, with one writing, “The ‘Survivors’ have received hundreds of millions in total. They have accepted no-fault settlements in every single case they brought forward (extortion), and they actively recruited children themselves. You’re the most useless politician in Congress,” while another offered, “Just do the best you can do. I hope it’s illegal to lie to Congress, whether or not she takes the oath… We will have our own hearings next year!!”
The post has added to the ongoing public debate over transparency and accountability in the handling of the Epstein case. As reactions continue online, the closed-door hearing is now underway in Washington, D.C.
