Attorney General Pam Bondi had some strong words for a California congresswoman during a House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday as she accused the rep. of “not helping crime” in Culver City.
In a heated exchange between Bondi and Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, who represents the state’s 37th District, the congresswoman called out the nation’s top law enforcement official for refusing to apologize directly to Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, who were present at the hearing.
Bondi had said she was “deeply sorry for what any victim has been through.”
“There are violent, dangerous people out here with real threats, and the dishonesty from your agency comes from the covering up of these threats that could hurt American people and put our lives at risk. Do better,” Kamlager-Dove said after Democrats pressed the Justice Department for refusing to meet with the survivors.
Bondi quickly fired back and took a shot at the Southern California city.
“Her district includes Culver City and she’s not talking about any crime in her district, nothing about helping crime in her district. She’s not even worth getting into the details,” Bondi said.
The remarks sparked outrage across the city on social media, including from the city’s mayor.
“Let’s be clear about the facts: Crime in Culver City declined 9.7% in 2024 and is down another 6.1% in the third quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024,” Mayor Freddy Puza wrote in a instagram post noting that a full 2025 year-end crime report will be released soon.
“The facts simply do not support the Attorney General’s narrative from today’s Congressional hearing,” he added. “We welcome the correction from the federal Department of Justice, but we won’t hold our breath.”
The clip of the exchange quickly went viral, with an outpouring of support for the city.
Among those reacting was comedian Heather Gardner, who posted a video on X noting the city had zero murders in the past year celebrating its many “happy hours.”
“The worst crime in Culver City is that they charge $24 for a smoothie at Erewhon,” she joked.
One user wrote, “Lived in Culver City for 8 years! Great city, great people,” while another called Bondi a “crazy lady,” adding, “Culver City is f***ing beautiful.”
The congresswoman herself later shared the clip on X and invited Bondi to “visit sometime.”
“Culver City is known for parks, studio lots, and breakfast burritos — not crime,” she wrote.
