According to a Reuters photograph taken during a House Judiciary Committee hearing, Attorney General Pam Bondi was seen holding a document labeled “Jayapal Pramila Search History.” The document appeared to reference searches of the unredacted Jeffrey Epstein files.
Jayapal later posted a video on Instagram accusing the Department of Justice of “spying on Members of Congress” as they reviewed the files. The Washington Democrat wrote, “This goes against the separation of powers in this country and is totally unacceptable.”
The allegation was that the DOJ had tracked what lawmakers searched while examining sensitive Epstein documents. Bondi also brought a printed copy of what appeared to be Jayapal’s search history into the public oversight hearing.
After the hearing, Jayapal said the document Bondi held matched her searches. “We are supposed to be able to, as lawmakers, go in, review the files, take whatever we want from there, not be surveilled and spied on by the Department of Justice,” she said. She also said the page visible in Bondi’s hand was only the first page and that her full search history was much longer.
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Jayapal said she believes the DOJ may have opened access to the files before the hearing to gauge what members were reviewing, so Bondi could anticipate potential questions. “She clearly came in prepared with that information,” Jayapal said.
She also referred to Bondi’s binder as a “burn book” for opposition members of Congress.
The DOJ has not publicly responded to the accusation. However, NBC News reported that lawmakers were given access this week to review the unredacted Epstein files on DOJ computers in person at the department.
In a letter obtained by NBC, the Justice Department told lawmakers:
“[It] will keep a log of the dates and times of all members’ reviews.”
While that logging process is standard protocol, Jayapal alleged the department was also tracking what lawmakers were searching for and opening. Jayapal told NBC that House Speaker Mike Johnson said that if searches were tracked, it would be inappropriate.
Mike Johnson says he has “no concerns” about Trump’s name appearing in the Epstein files.
That’s not reassurance. That’s an admission of how normalized corruption has become.
When exposure doesn’t scare leadership anymore, the rot is already deep. pic.twitter.com/ry20TwXEOF
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) February 1, 2026
Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has accused Bondi’s team of “spying on Members of Congress conducting oversight.” He has also called for the DOJ inspector general to investigate.
Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican who has been vocal about the Epstein files, said DOJ personnel were monitoring members and logging their activity.
“There is a tech person who logs you into the computer,” Mace said in an NPR interview.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz also called it “suspicious” that members had to log in with individual credentials and said it would be “problematic” if tracking occurred without clear notice. Jayapal said the issue appears to be drawing bipartisan attention.
