Todd Blanche Blasted for Caring More About Donald Trump Than Epstein Survivors

Democratic Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) sent a letter accusing acting Attorney General Todd Blanche of prioritizing the protection of President Donald Trump’s reputation over providing transparency to survivors of Jeffrey Epstein.

The sharp criticism arrived on Tuesday, July 14, just ahead of Blanche’s two-day confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The senators detailed that Blanche, Trump's former personal attorney, met in the White House Situation Room with other top advisers to strategize on minimizing the political damage to Trump regarding his past personal friendship with Epstein.

During a May subcommittee hearing, Blanche explicitly promised he would "absolutely" meet with Epstein survivors. However, a group of 17 survivors stated that no such meeting ever occurred.

The senators gave Blanche until July 28, 2026, to finalize a firm date for a face-to-face meeting with the survivors.

During his confirmation hearing on Wednesday, July 15, Blanche was grilled extensively about his prior handling of the Epstein files as deputy attorney general.

Survivors and lawmakers allege that under Blanche's leadership, the Justice Department's document rollout accidentally exposed the personal information (names, home addresses, and phone numbers) of victims, while heavily redacting the names of wealthy and powerful alleged abusers.

Critics pointed out that Blanche allegedly blocked the release of a 69-page unredacted report from a secret DEA investigation into Epstein.

When pressed during the hearing by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) to meet with 10 victims seated in the hearing room immediately, Blanche explained that because legal counsel represents many survivors, ethical constraints prevent him from speaking with them directly, noting that he has met with their attorneys and encouraging victims to reach out to the FBI.

Blanche repeatedly defended the Department of Justice's handling of the Epstein files, pushing back heavily against accusations that the administration has ignored the financier's victims.

He emphasized that the Department of Justice is actively willing to pursue any individuals implicated in the file, saying, “There are no closed investigations. If we learn today, if we learn next week, if we learn next month that there's an individual that we can investigate, indict and prosecute out of the Epstein files, you better believe it we will.”

Blanche countered claims that the administration neglected survivors, stating they are open to speaking with victims and have already met with over 30 representatives of survivors, emphasizing a commitment to pursuing any involved parties. Furthermore, he laughably asserted that, regarding Epstein, this administration "has been more transparent than any past administration," including the Biden administration.

Approximately 3 million pages of Epstein-related documents have not been publicly released by the Department of Justice.

In late June, a federal judge ruled that the DOJ had improperly redacted sections of the released documents —such as blacking out the names of prominent senders/recipients and co-conspirators — ordering the department to turn over those unredacted files by July 2, 2026, or legally justify keeping them blacked out. That deadline passed.

Advocacy groups like World Without Exploitation and a coalition of survivors have actively released public service announcements urging the Senate to completely reject Blanche's permanent confirmation as the nation's top law enforcement official.

Before being appointed acting Attorney General, Blanche served as Trump's lead personal defense attorney, representing him in high-profile criminal cases, including the New York hush-money trial and the federal classified-documents case. Blanche was also instrumental in moving Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell to a cushy, Club Fed-style prison camp.

Senate Democrats revealed that Blanche participated in White House Situation Room meetings with political advisers to manage the fallout of Trump's past ties to Epstein, leading to accusations that he used his official DOJ position to protect the president politically.

While Blanche is currently expected to be confirmed, his path to becoming the permanent Attorney General remains highly tight and volatile due to unsettled votes within his own party.

"You've chosen Trump over truth," blasted Democratic Sen. Cory Booker.

Republican Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) have both signaled skepticism or remain publicly undecided. Tillis has explicitly stated he will not support any nominee who equivocates on the violence of January 6.

Following the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the GOP holds one less seat on the Judiciary Committee, leaving the panel with a narrower margin to advance Blanche's nomination out of committee.