Pam Bondi Bails on CPAC Human Trafficking Summit Amid Epstein Uproar, Claiming ‘Torn Cornea’

AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File

Attorney General Pam Bondi bailed on speaking at a human trafficking summit organized by the Conservative Political Action Conference Wednesday, sending a message that she was suffering from a “torn cornea.”

The announcement that Bondi would be a featured speaker at CPAC’s “International Summit Against Human Trafficking” raised eyebrows — and outrage — Monday, as it came amidst a whirlwind of controversy bombarding President Donald Trump, Bondi, and other top White House officials regarding the Epstein files.

Trump has sought to downplay his friendship with deceased convicted sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein and accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell as his administration faces growing criticism over the failure to produce the “Epstein files” that Bondi and other cabinet appointees repeatedly promised. Trump has furiously denounced Epstein and claimed the two were never very close. Meanwhile, media reports have continued to unearth photos, videos, and witnesses who were around them years ago that paint a different picture.

The fallout from the Epstein files flop has emboldened Trump’s political opponents and reignited bitter internecine MAGA civil wars — messily playing out on social media and leading to calls for Trump to fire or demand the resignation of Bondi and other administration officials. Many of the calls for the release of the Epstein files are coming from other Republicans.

Shortly before Bondi was expected to speak, the event moderators read a statement with “some news from the attorney general’s office,” saying she had cancelled.

“I do have a note from the attorney general, from Attorney General Pam Bondi that I wanted to share, which is the following,” he said, and then read the following statement:

I’m sorry to miss all my CPAC friends today, especially Matt and Mercy Schlapp, Sen. [Marsha] Blackburn, and the wonderful team at the Tim Tebow Foundation.

Unfortunately, I am recovering from a recently torn cornea, which is preventing me from being with you. I truly wish I was able to join you and support all the of the work being done on this critical issue.

UPDATE 3:42 pm ET: Bondi’s cancellation came shortly before a bombshell report from The Wall Street Journal that she had told Trump in May that his name was in the Epstein files, contradicting the president’s public claims about the matter. The Journal would have reached out to Bondi for comment on the article before publication, so her office was aware of it, although it has not been confirmed at this time what exactly triggered the decision to cancel her appearance at the CPAC summit.