By A simmering dispute over the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files burst into open view this week, exposing sharp Republican divisions and raising new questions about transparency inside the Trump administration.
At the center of the controversy is Pam Bondi and her department’s management of unredacted Epstein documents that members of Congress recently gained access to review. During a tense House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, Bondi faced pointed criticism from lawmakers across the political spectrum, wrote Mediate.
A Reuters photograph taken during the hearing appeared to show Bondi holding a document labeled “Jayapal Pramila Search History,” detailing the search activity of Pramila Jayapal within the DOJ’s database of Epstein-related materials. The image, which circulated widely online, ignited immediate backlash.
Critics alleged that the Justice Department is monitoring and cataloging the investigative searches conducted by members of Congress—a practice they argue raises serious concerns about privacy, intimidation, and potential interference in congressional oversight.
Among the most vocal Republican critics was Nancy Mace, who has previously pressed for the release of unredacted Epstein files. In media interviews Friday, Mace expressed alarm over what she saw in the photograph.
“In the Judiciary Committee, she had a folder open, and you saw an image of a search history of a member of Congress in the software in the database,” Mace stated. “Why is the DOJ—why is the attorney general carrying around a folder of the search histories of members of Congress who only simply want the truth? She should answer for that, and I think she should come before the Oversight Committee, because I have a lot of tough questions.”
Republican Rep. Nancy Mace is calling on Pam Bondi to testify before the House Oversight Committee after reviewing the unredacted Epstein files. pic.twitter.com/hg39fiSdFd
— WarMonitor (@TheWarMonitor) February 13, 2026
Mace’s demand that Bondi testify before the House Oversight Committee — where the South Carolina Republican holds significant influence — underscores growing unease within GOP ranks. As one of the lawmakers who has aggressively pursued accountability in the Epstein matter, including reviewing the files herself and compiling lists of potential witnesses, Mace’s challenge signals that dissatisfaction with the Justice Department is no longer confined to Democrats.
The hearing itself featured heated exchanges. At one point, Jayapal urged Bondi to apologize to Epstein survivors who were present in the room, arguing that the department’s handling of sensitive material had compounded their trauma. Bondi declined, dismissing the request as “theatrics.”
The episode has since fueled broader accusations of surveillance and abuse of power. Lawmakers from both parties have called on the DOJ to cease tracking congressional activity within the Epstein database, and some have urged inspector general investigations into the matter.
While Democrats have led much of the criticism, Mace’s stance amplifies a deeper fracture inside the Republican Party — between those closely aligned with the administration’s institutional prerogatives and those who view independent oversight, particularly in the Epstein case, as a non-negotiable obligation.
For a party already navigating internal disputes over executive authority and institutional accountability, the clash over the Epstein files threatens to become another front in a growing intra-GOP struggle. As calls for further hearings mount, the controversy may evolve from a procedural dispute into a broader referendum on transparency, congressional prerogatives, and the limits of executive power while killing momentum for the party as it heads into a potentially difficult midterm election.
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