Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche faced renewed scrutiny after an hourlong meeting Thursday with women who say they were abused by financier Jeffrey Epstein. The session at Justice Department headquarters followed Blanche’s five‑hour confirmation hearing, where his performance drew mixed reactions from senators.
Survivors describe meeting as unproductive
Accounts from the meeting indicate it did not reassure the accusers. One survivor, Annie Farmer, said the conversation made her more certain she should urge senators to reject Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general. Farmer, who testified in 2019 that she was sexually assaulted at Epstein’s New Mexico ranch, told reporters and offered a written statement that criticized Blanche’s demeanor and responses.
“I found him abrasive, condescending, and intentionally noncommittal to survivors — a marked contrast to his public testimony during his confirmation hearing. While quick to point to the failures of previous administrations, he refused to take accountability for mistakes made under his own leadership,”
Farmer also said Blanche would not commit to investigating why her sister, Maria Farmer, reported Epstein to the FBI in 1996 and that the report went unaddressed. She described Blanche’s answers as evasive and said they suggested the attorney general’s office is “powerless” to pursue that line of inquiry.
What happened in Washington
The meeting took place on Thursday at the Justice Department following Blanche’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier in the week. Initial reports portray a tense exchange in which survivors pressed for clear commitments and accountability; those requests, according to survivors, were not met.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Meeting length | More than one hour |
| Location | Justice Department headquarters, Washington, D.C. |
| Participants | Todd Blanche and a group of Epstein accusers |
| Context | Followed Blanche’s Senate confirmation hearing |
Political context and potential consequences
The session came after Blanche’s lengthy hearing, during which Democrats challenged him and Republicans generally supported him. One Senate Republican’s request for Blanche to meet with survivors helped set the meeting’s terms; initial press accounts show the encounter may complicate Blanche’s path to confirmation. Survivors’ statements are likely to be referenced by lawmakers weighing their votes as the process moves forward in the Senate.
- Survivors' demand: clear commitments to investigate past handling of Epstein-related reports.
- Blanche's response: survivors describe evasiveness and a reluctance to accept departmental accountability.
- Next steps: Senate consideration of Blanche’s confirmation may be influenced by these accounts.
The meeting and its aftermath underscore lingering concerns among survivors about how the Justice Department has handled allegations tied to Epstein. As senators continue to assess Blanche’s nomination, the administration and lawmakers will face renewed pressure to spell out how the department will address unresolved questions related to earlier investigations.
Reporting here is based on initial accounts made public after Thursday’s meeting.
