Todd Blanche confronts Democrats’ questions over Epstein files handling: ‘That narrative is false’

Blanche said the department had officials prepared to meet with the women immediately, but communications with represented clients must go through their attorneys.

“They have lawyers, as you know. I’m prohibited from meeting directly with them,” Blanche said. “But if they are represented by counsel, we will work with their counsel.”

Abhishek Kambli, the DOJ’s former deputy associate attorney general, chimed in on X that Blanche’s legal assessment of his authority to meet with victims was correct.

“The DOJ (and any other attorney) is prohibited from meeting with someone when they are represented by counsel without going through their counsel first,” Kambli said. “Does not mean a meeting can’t occur but they have to go through attorneys to make that happen.”

He said DOJ officials had already met with more than 30 attorneys representing Epstein victims and said the department could arrange a meeting “as soon as today.”

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) argued Democrats’ new urgency over the Epstein files contrasted with their handling of the matter while they controlled the Senate. Blackburn said she had repeatedly sought subpoenas for Epstein-related banking records and flight logs during the previous Congress, when Durbin chaired the Judiciary Committee.

Durbin disputed that account, saying he had repeatedly sought to recognize Blackburn so she could offer an amendment related to Epstein flight logs, but Republican senators prevented it through a filibuster and by invoking other procedural maneuvers to stop her. He also said many records, including flight logs, had been public for years and that his staff later contacted Blackburn to identify any records she believed remained unreleased. Durbin said she never responded.

Blackburn pushed back, saying video and transcripts supported her account and that she would forward them to Blanche.

The exchange came as Democrats accused Blanche and the Trump administration of mishandling the release of Epstein-related records and of failing victims.

Blanche rebutted those claims by pointing to the DOJ’s review of more than 6 million pages under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. He acknowledged that some victim information was improperly disclosed but said the department removed and corrected the records once notified and made unredacted versions available to members of Congress for oversight. Blanche said the review occurred under statutory deadlines and court-ordered victim protections.

WATCH LIVE: TODD BLANCHE TESTIFIES BEFORE CONGRESS AT ATTORNEY GENERAL CONFIRMATION HEARING

“I have never said I will not meet with survivors,” Blanche said.

“When it comes to the victims of this horrible man, we will never, never not talk to victims,” he added. “We will never not do everything we can to prosecute anybody that committed any crimes against any of these women. So that narrative is false. We have spoken with over 30 representatives of dozens and dozens of victims since this process started.”