Oversight committee member accuses DOJ of withholding witness interviews; Minnesota officials say federal partners blocked access

A committee member on the Oversight Committee sharply criticized the Republican majority for bringing a hearing on Minnesota and accused the Department of Justice of withholding "explosive and credible FBI witness interviews" in a case involving an allegation against former President Donald Trump.

"The Department of Justice was caught red handed withholding explosive and credible FBI witness interviews of a woman who accused Donald Trump of ******** assaulting her when she was a minor," the committee member said, and asked why Pam Bondi had not been compelled to testify under the Epstein Files Transparency Act and the committee's subpoena.

The committee member also said federal enforcement actions in Minnesota have been abusive, alleging that the Trump administration "deployed thousands of ICE agents" who "terrorized the people of Minnesota, violated their rights, and even shot them dead in the streets." She cited the killing of an intensive-care nurse and quoted public statements from national and state figures as examples of what she called misleading public rhetoric.

Governor Waltz responded that state officials "believed we're not getting any cooperation" from federal partners and said they had been told they would not be part of relevant investigative files. Attorney General Ellison told the committee: "We have been told that we would not have access to [an] investigative file, which would include evidence that would be relevant to the investigation in both cases," and said the exclusion extended even to a nonfatal shooting that left state investigators "frozen out."

Ellison described the lack of cooperation as "wildly out of the ordinary," saying Minnesota's local FBI, ATF and other federal partners have routinely worked with state authorities in the past and that recent practices represent an "extraordinary departure."

When pressed on whether they were committed to getting to the truth for the families of the victims, Governor Waltz and Attorney General Ellison both pledged to pursue answers. "I pledge to their families we do that," one Minnesota official told the committee.

The committee member also invoked the Epstein Files Transparency Act, saying Congress had passed it "nearly unanimously" and arguing the committee's subpoena should be enforced. The hearing record did not include a response from Pam Bondi, and the committee did not vote on enforcement measures during the recorded exchange.

The Oversight Committee hearing continued after the exchange; the Minnesota officials' statements indicated they intend to press federal partners for access to evidence and to pursue accountability on behalf of the victims' families.