Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche apologized for mistakes made in the Justice Department's handling and redaction of millions of pages of documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. The apology came during a hearing on Capitol Hill where Blanche faced questions from both parties.
Public outcry and a congressional mandate led to the Justice Department's obligation to release its trove of files concerning the investigation into the late convicted sex offender. However, the slow pace of the release and extensive redactions have drawn criticism from lawmakers and survivors of Epstein's abuse.
During the hearing, Senator Richard Blumenthal asked Blanche if he would apologize to Epstein survivors for the "mishandling and mistakes." Blanche responded, "I will absolutely say that any mistake that we made should not have been made. And I very much. I very much apologize."
Senator Chuck Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Blanche about "problematic redactions," what he described as an "insufficient effort" in following investigative leads, and the department's "refusal to meet with victims." Grassley also raised questions surrounding the transfer of Ghislaine Maxwell, an Epstein accomplice, to a lower-security prison.
Blanche described the task of redacting and releasing six million pages of files within a short timeframe as a "Herculean task." He stated that approximately 1% of the redactions required correction. "We had dozens of lawyers on call," he said.
A dozen women, wearing T-shirts featuring images of the redacted files, attended the hearing to protest the department's handling of the documents. The release of these files represents a significant challenge for the Justice Department.