Epstein Survivors Demand DOJ Meeting After Blanche Senate Testimony

A group of Jeffrey Epstein survivors publicly challenged acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche after he suggested during Senate testimony that he had met with survivors or their lawyers, saying in a statement that no such meeting had taken place.

"Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has not met with any of us," the survivors said in the statement circulated after Blanche appeared before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee. "As survivors, we previously sought a meeting with former Attorney General Bondi and Department of Justice officials, but no meeting occurred."

The response came after Blanche faced questioning on the Justice Department's handling of Epstein-related files, survivor privacy, and the possibility of clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's longtime associate, who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. Blanche told senators he would not recommend a pardon for Maxwell, though that statement does not prevent President Donald Trump from issuing one independently.

The survivors' statement accused the Justice Department of forcing them to repeatedly relive trauma while failing to provide clear answers about records connected to Epstein and his alleged co-conspirators. They said the department should meet directly with survivors and their counsel, not to make them "start over," but to explain what happened with the release, redaction, and withholding of Epstein-related records.

"We should not have to be this persistent to engage with DOJ," the statement said, arguing that the department is responsible for handling the Epstein files, protecting survivors' privacy and answering for what the group called years of secrecy and failure.

The exchange added new tension to Blanche's first appearance before Congress as acting attorney general. Sen. Patty Murray also pressed him over the Justice Department's treatment of Epstein victims and asked whether he would apologize for the government's failures to protect their privacy. According to Murray's office, Blanche refused to directly apologize.

Blanche's testimony also reopened scrutiny of the DOJ's broader Epstein file process. Survivors and lawmakers have repeatedly demanded fuller transparency, while also warning that releases must not expose victims' private information. The survivors said they had already reported abuse and allegations involving Epstein and associated perpetrators to the FBI and federal authorities over many years.

"Whether it's release, redaction or withholding, the survivors are saying the same thing: they want answers from the people making the decisions," one advocate familiar with the statement said.

Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021, has remained a central figure in the political fight over the Epstein records. Blanche told senators he would not recommend clemency for her after the Supreme Court declined to hear her appeal, effectively leaving her conviction intact.