Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche met with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's crimes at the Justice Department on Thursday, a meeting one survivor, Annie Farmer, described as "abrasive" and "condescending." Farmer stated that she is now "even more confident in urging senators to vote against his confirmation as the United States' Attorney General."
Farmer, who testified for the government at Ghislaine Maxwell's criminal trial, alleged that both Epstein and Maxwell touched her inappropriately at Epstein's New Mexico ranch when she was 16. She said Blanche "would not commit" to investigating why her sister Maria Farmer's 1996 report into Epstein was ignored, which appears to be the first known federal report of Epstein's involvement in child sexual exploitation.
According to Farmer, Blanche "refused to take accountability for mistakes made under his own leadership" and declined to release documents related to charging decisions concerning Epstein. She also found Blanche's explanation for a past meeting with Maxwell "wholly dissatisfactory and contrived." Farmer expressed that Blanche's evasiveness felt like an attempt to claim the Attorney General's office is powerless, leaving survivors "trapped in the same endless loop of searching for answers and receiving none."
A spokesperson for Blanche stated that the acting attorney general "answered questions and walked through what is needed for investigations to proceed," adding that the Justice Department is "determined to bring justice for all victims of human trafficking and sex crimes."
Earlier in the day, Blanche had encouraged survivors to bring any information they possess to federal investigators. "I want, and everybody at the Department of Justice wants to prosecute anybody that we can for committing crimes against any of the Epstein victims," Blanche said. "So I encouraged them, like I've been saying publicly, that if they have information, they should they should go to the FBI."
Blanche acknowledged "frustration" from the victims during the meeting, though he stated "there wasn't any shouting." He characterized the meeting as "productive" and said he spent most of the time listening to their concerns. He also mentioned that FBI agents and a prosecutor specializing in sex trafficking joined the meeting. Blanche noted that the survivors did not present new information, but he did not see that as the meeting's primary purpose, stating, "The purpose of the meeting was just to listen."
The meeting occurred as Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., a key member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced that he would require Blanche to meet with Epstein's victims before he could vote for his confirmation as Attorney General. Dani Bensky, another Epstein survivor, had testified during Blanche's confirmation hearing that Blanche had not responded to her attempts to share her story.
Blanche had previously told lawmakers he would meet with victims, initially stating he could only do so through their counsel if they were represented. He later clarified that he, as acting attorney general, could meet with them directly. Tillis indicated that the meeting was a crucial step for him to support Blanche's confirmation, stating, "I expect that meeting to occur before I vote to vote out of this committee and I'm trying to get to yes."