Todd Blanche’s Attorney-General Nomination Raises Alarm Among Jeffrey Epstein Survivors

As former Trump defense lawyer Todd Blanche moves toward Senate confirmation as U.S. attorney general, a coalition of Jeffrey Epstein survivors has urged Republican senators Thom Tillis and John Cornyn to block the appointment. Survivors contend that Blanche’s tenure as acting attorney general was marked by “misstep after misstep,” including the release of victims’ names and photos while omitting the identities of alleged abusers and enablers. More than 1,000 teenage girls and women were abused in the Epstein case, yet only Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell have faced criminal charges.

The Guardian

The controversy stems from the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required the Department of Justice (DoJ) to disclose investigation records. Blanche oversaw the initial disclosures, which survivors say were incomplete and “deflecting, interrupting and gaslighting.” Their concerns echo broader criticism that the Trump administration, and now the prospective Blanche-led DoJ, have failed to pursue additional perpetrators.

The Guardian

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson asserted that “Todd Blanche has done an excellent job as acting attorney general and will continue doing so as attorney general.”

The Guardian

Legal analysts and civil-rights attorneys warn that Blanche’s confirmation could suppress further inquiries. Survivors’ advocates such as Gretchen Carlson and Julie Roginsky expressed disappointment but urged continued advocacy, noting past legislative gains against non-disclosure agreements and forced arbitration.

The Guardian

• “All the millionaires and billionaires and hangers-on and others in Epstein’s orbit who, you know, enabled him have not been brought to justice,” — Ron Kuby

The Guardian

• “You could bombard them with [public records] requests, and then file a lawsuit for them not providing responses to the Foia [Freedom of Information Act] requests, but that alone is a long process,” — Bryan Sullivan

The Guardian

• “Todd Blanche has done an excellent job as acting attorney general and will continue doing so as attorney general.” — Abigail Jackson, white house spokesperson

The Guardian

• “They have the ability not to allow this,” — Gretchen Carlson

The Guardian

• “If you think about how far our movement has come just in the last decade, we’ve seen tremendous advances,” — Julie Roginsky

The Guardian