The United States Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday answered questions regarding her department's handling of files relating to the late convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.

The Department of Justice has faced increasing scrutiny over the release of over three million files of redacted documents that have exposed sensitive information about Epstein survivors, something that had been ordered by Congress.

Bondi has also been criticized for the pace at which the Epstein files have been released.

Epstein survivors attend hearing

A group of survivors and their family members were present in the session, including those of the late Virginia Giuffre, who became a central figure in Epstein's downfall.

Giuffre publicly came forward with her accusations, saying she was a teenage spa attendant at US President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club when Epstein's then girlfriend and associate Ghislaine Maxwell approached her and hired her as a masseuse for the billionaire.

Democrats sought to grill Bondi on how the Justice Department decided what should and should not be made public under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

Bondi accused of Epstein 'cover-up'

Democrats accused Bondi of engaging in a cover-up.

"You're running a massive Epstein cover-up right out of the Department of Justice," said Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee.

"You've been ordered by subpoena and by Congress to turn over six million documents, photographs and videos in the Epstein files, but you've turned over only three million," Raskin said.

Epstein had ties with top business executives, politicians, celebrities, royals and academics, and was found dead in his New York jail cell in 2019.

He was awaiting trial for sex trafficking minor girls and his death was ruled a suicide.

The only person currently in prison in connection with Epstein is his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking underage girls to Epstein.

On Monday she declined to answer question from a US congressional committee, invoking her Fifth Amendment right in response to every question.

"When Maxwell was subpoenaed to come testify before Congress, you and Todd Blanche quickly moved her from a higher security prison to minimum security camp in Texas where she's enjoyed five star treatment including catered meals, private gym time and access to a therapy puppy," Raskin said.

Bondi expresses sorrow to victims, calls Epstein 'that monster'

Bondi said that they had done their very best under the given time frame.

"More than 500 attorneys and reviewers spent throusands of hours painstakingly reviewing millions of pages to comply with Congress's law," she added.

The Attorney General made special mention of the Epstein survivors present in the hearing.

"I have spent my ​entire career fighting for victims, and I will continue to do so," Bondi said in her opening ​statement.

"I am deeply sorry for what any victim, any victim, has been through, especially as a result of that monster," Bondi said, referring to Epstein.

Edited by: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez