The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee wants to hear from acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in July about his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, chair James Comer told reporters Wednesday.
“I think we all know he has a big confirmation coming up,” the Kentucky Republican said of Blanche, who President Donald Trump nominated earlier this week to formally lead the Justice Department. “I’ve always wanted Blanche to come in … We have questions.”
Comer said he was communicating with the Justice Department about extending an invitation for Blanche to sit for an interview as part of the panel’s ongoing Epstein investigation. It comes after former Attorney General Pam Bondi told the Oversight Committee in a recent transcribed interview that Blanche, as her deputy, was responsible for overseeing the release of the Epstein materials in DOJ’s possession — a process that included delays and botched redactions.
“The main thing that we have for Blanche is the question on what, if any documents are left out there,” Comer continued. “So that’s the main question.”
Should the Justice Department agree to make him available, the meeting would come at a particularly high-stakes moment for Blanche, who can’t afford to lose much support from Republicans in the Senate and still be confirmed as the nation’s top prosecutor.
Democrats on the Oversight Committee have been calling on Comer to have Blanche in to speak with them and indicated they could force a vote to subpoena him, should Comer decline to facilitate Blanche’s engagement with the panel under less aggressive circumstances.
Comer shared his intentions Wednesday morning as he headed in for a transcribed interview with tech mogul Bill Gates, who is poised to discuss his ties to Epstein with lawmakers and committee staff investigators.
A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Comer also indicated he wanted to hear from Alan Dershowitz, the criminal defense lawyer who once represented Epstein, after the committee’s Tuesday transcribed interview with Epstein’s former assistant, Lesley Groff.
Dershowitz said he did not recall any conversations with Groff beyond her secretarial duties.
“I repeatedly have asked to testify,” he said in an interview Wednesday, noting he was ready and willing to answer questions the panel’s questions.
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