Sen. Thom Tillis withholds vote on Todd Blanche's AG confirmation until he meets Epstein victims

Tillis draws red line

Republican Senator Thom Tillis, a retiring member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Thursday he will not vote to advance Todd Blanche's nomination for attorney general unless Blanche meets with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse and their lawyers. Tillis's demand carries weight because Democrats on the panel have pledged to uniformly oppose Blanche. The acting attorney general cannot afford to lose a single Republican vote. The committee is expected to reconvene on July 30 to vote on whether to send the nomination to the full Senate.

I expect that meeting to occur before I'm willing to vote out of this committee and I'm trying to get to 'yes,' but this is a very important part of getting to 'yes.'

Epstein survivor Dani Bensky testified Thursday that the group had not heard back from the Justice Department about a meeting request. Blanche had said a deputy could meet with the survivors' lawyers but that he could not meet with them directly. The demand is especially pointed because Blanche oversaw the release of Epstein files that left some victims' names and photos unredacted, a botched redaction that drew bipartisan criticism.

A revealing slip

The first day of the hearing, July 15, produced a moment that critics seized on as evidence of Blanche's loyalty to President Donald Trump. Asked by Republican Senator John Kennedy whether he considered himself Trump's friend, Blanche answered, "I'm his lawyer," before quickly correcting himself: "Was his lawyer. And now I'm the deputy attorney general."

I'm his lawyer.... Was his lawyer. And now I'm the deputy attorney general.

The exchange fueled Democratic accusations that Blanche, who previously led Trump's criminal defense team, would not run an independent Justice Department. Blanche insisted he is not a "yes man," but his oversight of the Epstein files and his role in creating a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund have drawn bipartisan criticism. He also sidestepped questions about Trump's pardons of Jan. 6 rioters who assaulted police, saying only that the president has clear pardon authority.

The fund that won't die

The weaponization fund emerged from a settlement of a $10 billion lawsuit Trump brought against the IRS. The fund and a related tax-audit immunity resolution for Trump and his associates sparked outrage from both parties. Blanche told lawmakers the fund was "dead," but Senator John Cornyn pressed him on whether the Justice Department had formally abandoned it. Cornyn later told reporters, "He confirmed that it's not dead," because the fund remains in the settlement text, which is under appeal.

He confirmed that it's not dead.

Cornyn said he is still weighing his vote. Tillis has also demanded legislation to codify the fund's demise, and he repeated Thursday that he has a "positive predisposition" to vote yes but needs the fund issue resolved.

What comes next

The committee heard from outside witnesses Thursday, including former Attorney General John Ashcroft in support of Blanche and former pardon attorney Liz Oyer, who was fired by Blanche, in opposition. The House Oversight Committee has signaled it will call Blanche to testify in its Epstein investigation soon after the Senate votes. With four months until the midterm elections, the confirmation fight adds to tensions between Senate Republicans and the White House, and a single Republican no vote would block the nomination from advancing.