Tensions mounted Wednesday between a frustrated Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and an increasingly testy Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as they discussed the Justice Department’s handling of its Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
Durbin spurred the heated exchange when he raised the issue of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed by both houses and signed by President Donald Trump, to trigger the release of the Epstein files.
“[An] overwhelming number of House and Senate members voted for it on a bipartisan basis because the administration would not voluntarily produce these documents,” Durbin began, only to have Blanche roar in response, “That’s not true!”
Durbin snapped back, “What part of it isn’t true?”
Said Blanche, “We were prohibited by law from producing those documents. This is the Judiciary Committee, there are laws that did not allow us to produce those documents, which we made plain amid numerous court filings.”
Durbin did not back down from the issue and reminded Blanche of the high stakes involved.
“There are 10 individuals who were exploited and abused by Mr. Epstein – they’re here today,” Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said during Blanche’s confirmation hearing Wednesday.
“None of them have had a chance to speak to anyone in the department or FBI, though they’ve asked repeatedly, so can I get your word under oath that within the next 30 days, you will personally sit down with these 10 victims and hear their case in terms of what needs to be done by the Department of Justice?”
Blanche refused to directly answer the question, and instead said a Justice Department (DOJ) colleague of his was “available to talk to” Epstein survivors.
“She can sit right next to you when you meet with these survivors,” Durbin said.
Blanche then claimed that he “never said” he wouldn’t meet with survivors, to which Durbin bluntly asked again whether he would meet with them.
“If they have lawyers, as you know, I’m prohibited from meeting directly with them,” Blanche said. “I have met with counsel for survivors, as has many people in the Department of Justice.”
Again, Durbin pressed Blanche on the same question, to which Blanche, again, refused to directly answer.
“I will get it done today if that’s necessary!” Blanche shot back. “My point is, there’s somebody here who can meet with them today, get their information and arrange to meet with them.”
Durbin repeated his recommendation that Blanche personally meet with Epstein survivors, as they’ve repeatedly asked to do, and again, asked Blanche bluntly whether he would meet with survivors within the next 30 days.
“I can keep on repeating myself, but I said it could get done as soon as today,” Blanche said. “It could have gotten done last week, we remain available to meet with any victim or their representative at any time.”
Near-identical exchanges repeated several times more, with Durbin accusing Blanche of “dancing on the head of a pin” with his responses. Durbin later appeared to pick up on Blanche’s tactical use of the words “can” and “could.”
“If you can meet with them, will you meet with them?” Durbin asked.
Blanche responded with frustration: “I’m not sure what you’re looking for me to say.”
Durbin gave Blanche a direct response.
“‘Yes,’ is what I’m looking for,” Durbin said. “I hope you will do it immediately or we’re going to hold you to it.”
Todd Blanche asked 6 times by @SenatorDurbin whether he will meet with Epstein survivors, and each time Blanche says he “could” or “can” do it. Durbin calls Blanche out for repeatedly dodging the question: “If you CAN meet with them, WILL you meet with them?” pic.twitter.com/9ZmbNH7hUh — Alexander Willis (@ReporterWillis) July 15, 2026
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