Bondi Deposition Reveals DOJ Executive Privilege Push to Block Epstein Files Oversight

This deposition episode illustrates how the administration uses legal privileges not to protect legitimate executive branch deliberations but to block congressional oversight of politically sensitive actions. Harmeet Dhillon, the DOJ attorney present, repeatedly invoked executive privilege to shield Bondi's communications with President Trump—even though Bondi was a private citizen at the time of the deposition. House Democrats slammed this as an abuse of process, noting that the privilege claim protected not only the president but the entire decision-making chain responsible for a release that, according to Bondi's own testimony, contained redaction errors that exposed victim names. The claim undermines congressional subpoena power and inspector general independence, as it was invoked not by the president but by a former AG and political appointees to block oversight of a flawed administrative action. For survivors and the public, this is about controlling the narrative while evading accountability, not transparency. The use of executive privilege to shield discussions that predate Bondi's official role sets a dangerous precedent, weakening the ability of Congress to oversee executive actions—particularly those that harm vulnerable populations.