Trump AG Nominee, Democrat Senator Come To Blows Over Epstein Files

Democratic Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin interrogated acting Attorney General Todd Blanche over the Jeffrey Epstein files in Wednesday's confirmation hearing.

Faith MillerJul 15, 20263 min read

Politics

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Democratic Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin interrogated acting Attorney General Todd Blanche over the Jeffrey Epstein files in Wednesday’s confirmation hearing.

Durbin pressed Blanche over the Trump administration’s timeline for the disclosure of the Epstein files, and urged him to meet with ten victims of Epstein in the room.

“There are ten individuals who were exploited and abused by Mr. Epstein. They are here today. None of them have had a chance to speak to anyone in the department or FBI, though they’ve asked repeatedly,” the Democrat said.

“So, can I get your word, under oath, that within the next 30 days you will personally sit down with these ten victims and hear their case in terms of what needs to be done by the Department of Justice?” he asked Blanche.

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Blanche informed Durbin of the leader of the DOJ’s task force investigating human trafficking who would be available to talk to the victims.

“She can sit right next to you. She can sit right next to you when you meet with these survivors,” Durbin continued to press Blanche. The nominee then told Durbin that he never said he that will not meet with survivors.

“Will you meet with these 10 survivors?” Durbin continued. “I’m asking you on the record.”

Blanche served as Deputy Attorney General under former Attorney General Pam Bondi when the DOJ’s response to the Epstein files was heavily scrutinized

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“If they have lawyers, as you know, I am prohibited from meeting directly with them. I have met with counsel for survivors, as many people in the department have done,” Blanche said. “But if they are represented by counsel, we will work with their counsel. If they don’t have a lawyer, I will certainly make arrangements to make sure that the right people will meet with them.”

Durbin pressed Blanche to do it within the next 30 days.

“I will get it done today if that’s necessary,” Blanche said. “My point is, there’s somebody here who can meet with them today, get their information, and arrange to meet with them.”

The senator also criticized the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files, claiming it “would not voluntarily produce these documents.”

“We were prohibited by law from producing those documents,” Blanche said. “This is Judiciary Committee. There are laws that did not allow us to produce those documents which we made plain in numerous court filings. President Trump had said from day one to release the files—even when he was running. So, yes, he signed it into law, and we complied with it.”

Durbin claimed that the administration went lengths to delay production of these documents which caused Congress to do “an extraordinary thing: discharge motion in the house to bring this matter before them and vote on a bipartisan basis” to compel the administration to disclose the documents.

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