House Speaker Mike Johnson broke ranks with the Trump administration to condemn the Justice Department’s surveillance of congressional members reviewing unredacted Jeffrey Epstein documents, calling the practice inappropriate after Attorney General Pam Bondi was caught with Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s search history.

Speaker Rebukes DOJ Surveillance

Johnson delivered a rare criticism of the administration, telling reporters that lawmakers should have the right to review documents without tracking. The Louisiana Republican, typically aligned with Trump policies, said he would communicate his concerns directly to Justice Department officials. His comments came after photographs revealed Bondi possessed detailed records of which Epstein files Jayapal had accessed during her congressional review.

The surveillance came to light when CNN photographed Bondi’s notes during Wednesday’s congressional hearing. The notes contained Jayapal’s complete search history, listed in the exact order she had reviewed the documents. Jayapal told reporters she was unaware of the monitoring until contacted by media outlets for comment on the matter.

Constitutional Concerns Raised

Jayapal characterized the surveillance as a violation of the separation of powers, expressing concern that lawmakers could not review documents without fear of retaliation. The Washington congresswoman said she immediately contacted Johnson after he initially called the tracking allegations unsubstantiated, confirming the accuracy of the documented search history. Republican Rep. Nancy Mace also criticized the practice, stating on social media that the Justice Department was tagging all documents accessed by congressional members.

Restrictive Review Process

Congressional members must schedule appointments to review unredacted Epstein files at a Justice Department building in Washington. Lawmakers cannot bring phones or staff members into the facility and are limited to using four designated computers. Justice Department employees remain present throughout the review sessions, with some sitting directly behind lawmakers to monitor their screens. The department defended the practice, claiming the logging protects against unauthorized release of victim information, while lawmakers press for additional name redactions to be removed.