Senator Tillis Stipulates Meeting with Epstein Survivors for Blanche’s Nomination

During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Senator Thom Tillis from North Carolina set a stipulation for Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general. Tillis is a key vote in moving Blanche’s nomination forward, and he asked that Blanche meet with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse to gain his support.

The request came after efforts by a group of Epstein survivors to meet Blanche, who is currently the acting attorney general, proved unsuccessful for months. Tillis expressed support for Blanche’s nomination earlier, but introduced this new condition due to political pressure surrounding the Epstein case, which affects both President Trump and the Justice Department leadership, including Blanche.

If all Democrats on the Judiciary Committee vote against Blanche, one Republican “no” could halt his nomination. Tillis has made similar threats before but often withdraws his opposition by the final Senate vote, showing reluctance to defy the Trump administration.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Blanche was questioned on his handling of the Epstein case, particularly his indecision about meeting with survivors. He mentioned needing their lawyer present and suggested that an aide could meet them instead. However, Tillis emphasized that a face-to-face meeting was necessary before proceeding with his vote in the committee.

I expect that meeting to occur before I’m willing to vote out of the committee, Tillis said. He pointed out that the Senate schedule allocated Blanche about two weeks for such a meeting before the vote.

Tillis indicated he was “trying to get to yes” on Blanche’s nomination but highlighted the necessity of the meeting as a significant step toward support. He asserted there was no reason Blanche couldn’t meet with Epstein’s abuse survivors.

Senators had previously questioned Blanche’s actions in the Epstein case, specifically his decision to interview Epstein’s co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell. After these interviews, Maxwell was transferred to a more lenient prison camp, a move critics argue contradicts agency policy.

Reporters Karoun Demirjian and Devlin Barrett contributed to this coverage.