Republican Senator Thom Tillis Demands Todd Blanche Meet With Epstein Survivors

The acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, met on Thursday with victims and relatives of victims of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after a key Republican lawmaker insisted he would not advance Mr. Blanche’s nomination to serve in the job permanently unless he did so.

Some victims at the meeting called it unhelpful and infuriating, while a Justice Department official said it was productive.

Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina made the demand during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday for witnesses to discuss Mr. Blanche’s nomination. For months, a group of Epstein survivors has tried unsuccessfully to meet with Mr. Blanche.

Hours after Mr. Tillis’s comments, Mr. Blanche privately met with some victims eager to share their frustrations about how the Justice Department had handled the release of the Epstein files, and press the agency to more aggressively investigate.

The meeting came as Mr. Blanche seeks to tread a narrow path to confirmation in a Senate with a small Republican majority that has increasingly been frustrated by the Trump administration.

Two of the attendees sharply criticized Mr. Blanche’s conduct during the meeting, saying it fell far short of what they wanted from the Justice Department, and urged senators to vote against Mr. Blanche.

Dani Bensky said the acting attorney general “treated the meeting as a mere ‘check-the-box’ exercise intended to secure votes for his confirmation. He danced around his wording, repeatedly interrupted us and could not commit to anything that would demonstrate good faith or begin to restore trust.”

Another woman who met with Mr. Blanche was blunt in her criticism.

“I found him abrasive, condescending and intentionally noncommittal to survivors, a marked contrast to his public testimony during his confirmation hearing,” said Annie Farmer.

A Justice Department spokesperson called the meeting productive and said Mr. Blanche answered questions, explained the investigative process and encouraged follow-up discussions with F.B.I. agents.

Mr. Tillis, who is retiring next year, has spoken favorably about Mr. Blanche’s nomination, including on Wednesday, when Mr. Blanche appeared before the committee for his confirmation hearing. But on Thursday, Mr. Tillis laid out a new condition related to the Epstein case, which has become a political albatross for both President Trump and the Justice Department leadership, including Mr. Blanche.

If Democrats on the Judiciary Committee all vote against Blanche, a single Republican “no” could sink his nomination. Mr. Tillis has made similar threats before, including privately signaling that he would withhold his support for the incoming defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, but he has frequently dropped his resistance on the Senate floor, appearing loath to challenge the Trump administration when it comes to casting his final vote.

During the hearing on Wednesday, in which Mr. Blanche’s handling of the Epstein case was a frequent topic of questioning, Mr. Blanche was noncommittal about whether he would meet with Epstein survivors. He said he could not do so without their lawyer present, and added that he had an aide who could meet with them instead.

Mr. Tillis made clear a day later that he thought Mr. Blanche should sit down face to face with the survivors.

“I expect that meeting to occur before I’m willing to vote out of the committee,” Mr. Tillis said, noting that the Senate schedule gave Mr. Blanche roughly two weeks to have such a meeting before the panel votes.

The senator said he was “trying to get to yes” on Mr. Blanche’s nomination. He added: “But this is a very important part of getting to yes. There should not be any reason” Mr. Blanche cannot meet with survivors of Mr. Epstein’s abuse, he said.

Later in the day, Mr. Tillis signaled that he was satisfied.

“I commend Todd Blanche for doing what all his predecessors over the last two decades never did: meet with the victims of Jeffery Epstein’s horrific crimes,” Mr. Tillis posted on social media. “I appreciate his willingness to directly engage and listen to them.”

Senators on Wednesday repeatedly pressed Mr. Blanche over Mr. Epstein, particularly Mr. Blanche’s decision to spend two days interviewing Mr. Epstein’s convicted co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, after which she was transferred to a more lenient prison camp. Federal prison veterans have said that such a transfer violates agency policy and longstanding practice.

Karoun Demirjian contributed reporting.