News summary produced by Claude AI
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche held a meeting with a group of accusers of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein at Justice Department headquarters in Washington. The meeting, which lasted approximately one hour, came after Republican Sen. Thom Tillis indicated it was necessary before he would support Blanche’s nomination to permanently lead the department.
During the meeting, Blanche encouraged the accusers to provide any information to the FBI that could aid investigations into individuals connected to Epstein. However, he stated he could not guarantee additional prosecutions would be pursued, noting that the Justice Department currently lacks evidence to support charges against others in Epstein’s orbit. Blanche characterized the meeting as not entirely cordial, acknowledging that accusers sought forms of justice he was uncertain he could provide.
One accuser, Dani Bensky, expressed dissatisfaction with the encounter, describing it as a “check-the-box exercise” aimed at securing confirmation votes. Bensky stated that Blanche avoided making commitments and failed to present a credible investigative plan. She also testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that accusers had attempted multiple times to meet with Blanche without receiving responses.
Blanche countered that the Justice Department has engaged with representatives of more than 30 women during its review of investigative files and remains committed to investigating and prosecuting crimes supported by evidence. Tillis subsequently praised Blanche’s willingness to meet directly with the accusers. Blanche’s confirmation hearing also addressed other matters, including a compensation fund for the president’s allies and release of millions of Epstein-related documents, with the latter process marred by redaction errors that exposed photographs of potential victims.