Marina Lacerda, one of Jeffrey Epstein’s survivors, accused Attorney General Pam Bondi of treating victims with disrespect after a tense House Judiciary Committee hearing focused on the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein files.
Lacerda, who attended the hearing alongside at least 10 other Epstein survivors, told NewsNation afterward that she and others expected more empathy from the nation’s top law enforcement official. Instead, she said Bondi’s behavior left victims feeling dismissed and humiliated. “We expected a little bit more on Pam Bondi’s part,” Lacerda said, adding that Bondi “really dehumanized us today.”
The hearing quickly became combative as lawmakers grilled Bondi over what they described as mishandled and inconsistent releases of Epstein-related investigative records. Members of Congress from both parties criticized the administration for initially redacting names of certain individuals — including alleged co-conspirators — while leaving identifying information about some victims visible in the public release.
During questioning, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) brought attention directly to the survivors sitting behind Bondi. Jayapal asked the victims to stand and raise their hands if they had not yet been able to meet with the Trump administration regarding the release of the files. Every survivor stood, including Lacerda, along with Virginia Giuffre’s brother, who was also present.
Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY via Imagn Images
Jayapal then pressed Bondi to turn around and apologize to the survivors for the way the Justice Department had handled the file disclosures. Bondi did not comply. Instead, she attempted to shift blame toward her predecessor, former Attorney General Merrick Garland, prompting Jayapal to interrupt and insist the issue was about Bondi’s responsibility now.
The exchange escalated into a sharp back-and-forth, with Bondi ultimately refusing to apologize and accusing Jayapal of staging “theatrics.” She said she would not “get in the gutter,” a comment that Lacerda said deeply affected the survivors in the room.
According to Lacerda, several victims cried after Bondi’s response, feeling hurt and embarrassed that they had stood up publicly only to be ignored. She said the moment was painful because Bondi would not even acknowledge them face-to-face. Lacerda described Bondi as having “become a circus act at this point.”
Bondi’s clashes were not limited to Democrats. She also sparred with Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a sponsor of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which President Trump signed into law last November. The law requires the Justice Department to release all files related to the Epstein investigation.
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Massie accused Bondi of only unredacting names after he caught the department withholding information earlier in the week. Bondi fired back, accusing Massie of having “Trump derangement syndrome” and calling him a “failed politician.”
For Lacerda and other survivors, the shouting matches and political insults only reinforced their frustration. She said the hearing was another reminder that even after years of trauma, survivors are still fighting to be treated with basic dignity.
