Hours after Sen. Thom Tillis demanded acting Attorney General Todd Blanche meet with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes, President Donald Trump’s nominee to permanently lead the Justice Department did just that.
In a social media post Thursday evening, Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, signaled he was satisfied that Blanche had followed through on his ask, saying he “commend[ed] Todd Blanche for doing what all his predecessors over the last two decades never did: meet with the victims of Jeffery Epstein’s horrific crimes.”
Tillis, who said he would not vote to advance Blanche’s nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee until Blanche met with Epstein victims, added, “I appreciate his willingness to directly engage and listen to them.”
One victim who attended the meeting, however, decried the meeting as “insufficient.”
“Unfortunately, Todd Blanche treated the meeting as a mere ‘check-the-box’ exercise intended to secure votes for his confirmation,” Danielle Bensky, a survivor whose identity was exposed as part of a flawed redaction process during the Justice Department’s release of the Epstein files that Blanche oversaw as deputy attorney general, said in a statement Thursday.
“He danced around his wording, repeatedly interrupted us and could not commit to anything that would demonstrate good faith ro begin to restore trust,” she added.
Bensky, who was invited by Democrats to testify on a panel of outside witnesses earlier Thursday as part of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s confirmation proceedings for Blanche, also said that Blanche “did not adequately account for the release of the materials that exposed survivors’ identifying information and images.”
Bensky said she hoped Tillis will ultimately “recognize that this meeting was insufficient” and that Blanche ”is not qualified to serve as attorney general.”
Tillis has still not said how he will vote on Blanche in the Judiciary Committee. Assuming all Democrats on the panel vote “no,” a single Republican defection could keep Blanche’s nomination from advancing to the Senate floor. A spokesperson for Tillis did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Bensky’s statement, and whether her characterization could affect his decision.
A Justice Department spokesperson in a statement defended Blanche’s meeting.
“Acting Attorney General Blanche, senior DOJ officials, FBI special agents, and victim services representatives met with Epstein victims today and had a productive, initial discussion,” a Justice Department spokesperson said in a statement. “Acting AG Blanche answered questions and walked through what is needed for investigations to proceed.
“While some victims said that they had not reached out to the FBI under this administration, he encouraged victims to meet with FBI investigators as the next step, and attendees spoke with agents after the meeting about scheduling interviews,” the spokesperson continued. “The Justice Department is determined to bring justice for all victims of human trafficking and sex crimes.”
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