Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina said Thursday he will not vote to advance Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general unless the Acting AG meets with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse first.
Tillis expects the meeting to happen before the Senate Judiciary Committee votes on the nomination, which is scheduled in two weeks at the earliest.
The demand came on the second day of Blanche’s confirmation hearings. Dani Bensky, an Epstein survivor whose personal information was accidentally leaked in unredacted DOJ files last year, was among the witnesses.
Bensky testified that previous requests to meet with Blanche had gone unanswered. Blanche apologized for the leak during Wednesday’s testimony, and a Justice Department spokesperson said a rescheduled meeting was set for Thursday afternoon.
Blanche’s nomination hinges on Tillis and Senator John Cornyn of Texas, as the committee is tightly split 11-10 following the death of Senator Lindsey Graham. Cornyn remains undecided, citing concerns over a DOJ tax settlement with Donald Trump that granted Trump and his businesses audit immunity.
Tillis is leaning yes but wants legislative assurances that a now-defunct $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund associated with that settlement cannot be revived.
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