Friday, February 13, 2026

Bondi brawls with Congress

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This is America

Stories of justice and action across America

Fri Feb 13 2026

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi brawled with Congress this week in a hearing that provided more heat than light for accusers and other advocates demanding the prosecution of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein's alleged co-conspirators.

Welcome, This is America readers, I'm Phillip M. Bailey, chief political correspondent at USA TODAY.

Emotions were hot during a House Judiciary Committee hearing this past week where Bondi was assailed by lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, who accused the Justice Department of redacting the names of multiple men for political reasons.

When confronted with questions Bondi jousted with some Democratic committee members and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky. At one point she responded by saying they should focus instead on the rising stock market and falling crime.

When Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, the top Democrat on the committee, told Bondi to answer questions rather than filibuster she laid into the former 25-year professor of constitutional law.

"You don't tell me anything, you washed up loser lawyer," Bondi said. "You're not even a lawyer."

Victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein react as U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on "Oversight of the Department of Justice" on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on Feb. 11, 2026.

ROBERTO SCHMIDT, AFP via Getty Images

For more on the Epstein hearing, check out USA TODAY's coverage:

6 more suspects found in redacted Jeffrey Epstein documents: Two House members who led the effort to force the Justice Department to release more documents about accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein said they discovered at least six more suspected accomplices.

Trump Cabinet official discusses visit to Epstein's island: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick previously told Congress that he cut off relations with Epstein, but documents released by the Justice Department show references to a lunch on Epstein's private island in the Caribbean.

Chappell Roan leaves Wasserman after agency CEO named in Epstein files: The Grammy-winning singer is ditching the sports and entertainment agency amid the continued fallout

Trump pardons 5 former NFL stars

President Donald Trump's "pardon czar" Alice Marie Johnson had an early Valentine Day's gift for a group of former NFL players who were convicted on federal crimes ranging from auto-insurance scams to counterfeit money schemes.

Trump's use of the executive privilege − which is a king-like power in the U.S. Constitution − has been controversial in the past, such as when it was applied to the rioters involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack. One of those individuals was convicted of child sexual abuse charges this week, for instance.

But this week Johnson was able to tout the pardon power in a more positive light with football greats such as Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Nate Newton, who was sentenced to 30 months in prison in 2002 after he was arrested with 175 pounds of marijuana in the trunk of his car near Dallas.

"Special thanks to (Dallas Cowboys owner) Jerry Jones for personally sharing the news with Nate Newton," Johnson said in a Feb. 12 post on X. "I'm holding Nate's pardon in my hands today—what a blessed day."

Thanks for reading! See you back next week with more stories of justice from across the country.