Epstein Survivors Call Acting AG Blanche 'Condescending' After DOJ Meeting

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche met for about an hour on July 16, 2026 with several survivors of Jeffrey Epstein, after Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said he would withhold his confirmation vote until the meeting took place. Survivors including Annie Farmer and Liz Stein afterward described Blanche as "abrasive, condescending" and the session as "demoralizing," saying he would not commit to investigating why an earlier report about Epstein from Maria Farmer's sister had gone unheeded, or to releasing additional case documents.

The meeting became a flashpoint in Blanche's confirmation because it tested whether the nominee, who as acting attorney general already oversees the department's handling of the Epstein files, would offer survivors the transparency he has publicly promised. Their assessment that the meeting was a "check-the-box" exercise raises questions about the Justice Department's broader commitment to releasing Epstein-related records.

Blanche called the meeting "productive." Tillis said afterward he was closer to a "yes" vote, and Blanche's nomination remains before the Senate Judiciary Committee.