Republican Senator Delivers Todd Blanche an Epstein Ultimatum

Senator Thom Tillis has announced that he will vote against Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination unless he meets with the Epstein survivors he’s been avoiding for months. This could potentially kill Blanche’s nomination, as Blanche needs a “yes” vote from all 11 Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee for his nomination to move forward.

“I have not made a final decision, but Mr. Blanche said very quickly yesterday that he would meet with the [Epstein] victims today if it could be arranged,” Tillis said, repeating Blanche’s earlier comment. “Because it seemed to me that Mr. Blanche was willing to say that he would meet with them and counsel.... I expect that meeting to occur before I’m willing to vote out of this committee.”
GOP Sen. Tillis says that he has a "positive predisposition" to acting AG Todd Blanche but has "not made a final decision" until Blanche agrees to meet with Epstein victims pic.twitter.com/5bd8h5wzMg
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Tillis had last month set a different requirement for Blanche: that he disavow the January 6 protesters.

His new ultimatum came shortly after Dani Bensky, who was abused by Epstein as a teenager, lambasted Blanche for still not meeting with her and other survivors, even after he promised he would—despite meeting with Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell for nine hours shortly before she was transferred to a cushier prison.

“In our nation, everyone deserves equal protection under the law. Todd Blanche has been unwilling to protect Epstein survivors’ personal information, and he has been resistant to investigate the people who helped Epstein and Maxwell commit those crimes. We need an attorney general committed to ensuring that everyone who facilitated Epstein’s crimes is held accountable,” Bensky said. “Please, I implore you. Please.”

Tillis noted that Blanche had two weeks to fulfill his demand. ...