Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche Meets Epstein Victims Amid Confirmation Push
Todd Blanche met with representatives of Jeffrey Epstein's accusers after a Republican senator said the encounter was required for his confirmation, but he could not promise further prosecutions.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche met on Thursday with representatives of women who accused convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a meeting requested by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, whose vote is seen as pivotal for Blanche’s confirmation as Justice Department head. Blanche told reporters he urged the accusers to provide any information that could help the FBI build cases against additional individuals linked to Epstein, but said he could not guarantee that new prosecutions would result.
"It wasn't all cordial," Blanche said, adding that the victims wanted "some form of justice" that he could not yet deliver.
One survivor, Dani Bensky, criticized the meeting, describing it as a "check-the-box" exercise aimed at securing votes and saying Blanche offered no concrete plan for further accountability beyond Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. She told the Senate Judiciary Committee that the women had repeatedly requested a meeting that went unanswered.
Blanche countered that DOJ officials have spoken with more than 30 victim representatives and affirmed that any credible evidence of crimes will be investigated and, if warranted, prosecuted.
Sen. Tillis indicated he would consider supporting Blanche only after such a meeting occurred, while Sen. John Cornyn expressed reservations about a related compensation fund and remained undecided. After the hearing, Tillis posted approval of Blanche’s willingness to engage directly with the victims.
Blanche, who has overseen the release of millions of Epstein-related documents, acknowledged errors in the redaction process that briefly exposed victims’ identities, saying the department acted quickly to correct the mistakes.