Tillis ties Blanche vote to meeting with Epstein survivors

Sen. Thom Tillis put a clear condition on Todd Blanche’s attorney general bid Thursday: meet with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse, or do not count on his vote in committee.

The North Carolina Republican said during the second day of Blanche’s Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing that he has a “positive predisposition” toward Blanche, who is acting attorney general, but has not decided whether to support moving the nomination forward.

Tillis said Blanche told senators Wednesday that he would meet with Epstein survivors as soon as that day if arrangements could be made. Tillis said the committee is not expected to vote for at least two weeks, leaving time for that meeting to happen.

“I’m trying to get to yes,” Tillis said at the hearing, adding that the meeting is “a very important part” of reaching that point. He said he understood that lawyers would need to be involved.

Epstein files release under scrutiny

The demand came after Dani Bensky testified before the committee. Bensky said her name and personal information were wrongly made public in Justice Department documents tied to the federal investigation of Epstein that were released last year.

In written testimony to the committee, Bensky said her name was among those of more than 350 survivors submitted to the Justice Department for redaction before the Epstein files were released in December.

Bensky said she and other survivors contacted former Attorney General Pam Bondi and Blanche, but did not receive responses or meetings.

Blanche told senators Wednesday that “mistakes were made” in the Epstein files release and apologized to survivors whose personal information was not properly redacted. Asked whether he would meet with survivors, he said Justice Department staff were available to do so.

Blanche also said he had “never said” he would refuse to meet survivors, but said he was “prohibited from meeting directly with them” and would have to go through their lawyers.

A narrow committee count

Blanche’s nomination faces a tight road in the Judiciary Committee, which has 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats after the unexpected death of Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina on Saturday.

The acting attorney general needs support from Tillis and Sen. John Cornyn, the Texas Republican who also remains undecided. Tillis is not seeking reelection, and Cornyn lost his Senate primary to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who had President Trump’s endorsement.

Cornyn told reporters that Blanche is a “very impressive guy,” but said an attorney general must balance being the country’s top law enforcement officer with loyalty to the president. Cornyn said Thursday he would decide when it is time to vote in committee.

Trump tax settlement draws heat

Blanche also faced questions over a Justice Department settlement with Mr. Trump in a $10 billion civil lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns by a government contractor.

Under the settlement described at the hearing, the Justice Department agreed to create a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund and gave Mr. Trump, his two older sons and his companies immunity from audits and investigations tied to tax returns already filed.

Blanche told the committee the fund “doesn’t exist anymore” and is “dead,” while the immunity provision for Mr. Trump remains in place.

Cornyn has questioned the breadth of the settlement, telling reporters that the release Blanche signed appeared to extend beyond the parties in the lawsuit and beyond Treasury and the IRS. Tillis has said he is leaning yes on Blanche, but also wants certainty that the fund cannot return.

Tillis told reporters Wednesday he wanted the president to support a legislative fix. Senate Majority Leader John Thune was less definite Thursday when asked whether such a measure could pass by unanimous consent and whether the president would sign it, saying, “I don’t know.”

This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.