Representative Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) is calling for accountability after the Justice Department, under Secretary Pam Bondi, released FBI files containing sexual assault allegations against President Donald Trump.
The Democratic lawmaker wants to know why it took so long.
The files, posted by the Justice Department, consist of three FBI interview summaries with a woman who alleged President Trump sexually assaulted her when she was a young teenager after being introduced to him by Jeffrey Epstein.
Politico reported the interviews, dated between August and October 2019, include the woman's account of a violent encounter she says occurred when she was between 13 and 15 years old.
Alleged Allegations
According to the summaries, the woman alleged that Epstein brought her to a high-rise building in either New York or New Jersey, where she was introduced to Trump. She described a violent encounter that followed after Trump asked others to leave the room.
However, Trump has denied any wrongdoing in connection with the Epstein allegations and has not been charged with any crime related to them.
There is no evidence linking Trump to Epstein's sex trafficking operation, and the Justice Department has noted that many of the released materials lack substantiation or context.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the allegations as "completely baseless accusations, backed by zero credible evidence, from a sadly disturbed woman who has an extensive criminal history."
Ansari's Pushback
For Ansari, the central question isn't just about what the files contain, it's about why they weren't released sooner.
"Why did Pam Bondi wait so long to release FBI files revealing that a young girl reported being sexually assaulted by Donald Trump?" she questioned on X. "I'll be demanding answers when she appears under the Oversight Committee's subpoena."
That subpoena is now a reality.
On Wednesday, a House committee voted to compel Attorney General Pam Bondi to testify about her handling of the Epstein files.
Democrats have been investigating whether the Justice Department deliberately withheld materials containing sexual assault allegations against Trump, and the Justice Department has also drawn criticism for improperly disclosing victim-identifying information and selectively redacting names of other individuals mentioned in the files.
Bondi's testimony is expected to put the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein files under a microscope, and Ansari has made clear she intends to be front and center when it does.
