Todd Blanche and the Epstein files dominated headlines this week as the Senate narrowly confirmed him as the nation’s next attorney general early Saturday morning. The 50-49 vote capped months of pressure from Epstein survivors, state prosecutors, and Senate Democrats who tried to derail his nomination over the Justice Department’s handling of records tied to the late convicted sex offender.
Blanche, 52, previously served as Trump’s personal defense attorney before joining the Justice Department as deputy attorney general last year. He has now been elevated to run the entire 100,000-plus person department, taking over full-time after serving as acting attorney general.
A Narrow, Party-Line Vote
The Senate’s decision came down to a handful of votes. Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska broke from their party to oppose Blanche, joining every Senate Democrat in voting no.
Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana provided the deciding vote after announcing his support in a floor speech Friday. He acknowledged concerns about Blanche’s judgment but said the country needed a Senate-confirmed leader at the Justice Department rather than someone serving in an acting capacity.
Sen. Mitch McConnell was absent from the vote due to a recent hospitalization, which left Republicans little room for additional defections.
Collins explained her opposition in a public statement, saying the Justice Department has grown increasingly political under the current administration. Murkowski echoed similar concerns, stating she lacked confidence that Blanche would push back against what she called the administration’s worst impulses.
The Epstein Files Fight
Blanche’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein-related records became the most contentious issue throughout his confirmation process. Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act last year, forcing the Justice Department to release documents connected to its investigation into Epstein. The department published its final batch of records in January, adding roughly three million documents to a public database.
Despite that release, critics argue Blanche has continued to withhold key unredacted material from outside investigators. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department this week, accusing Blanche and other officials of blocking his state’s criminal investigation into abuse allegations tied to Epstein’s Zorro Ranch property near Santa Fe.
The lawsuit references a Justice Department memo describing an alleged sexual assault at the ranch involving a woman other than Ghislaine Maxwell. Torrez said Blanche could grant his office access to the necessary files immediately but has chosen instead to stonewall the request.
Key developments in the New Mexico dispute:
- Torrez’s office released a report saying officials responsible for protecting victims relied on others to act.
- The lawsuit cites a 2021 federal appeals court ruling calling the underlying facts of the Epstein case a “national disgrace.”
- Torrez said his office still does not know whether another individual facilitated abuse in a manner similar to Maxwell.
Survivors Speak Out Against Confirmation
Multiple Epstein survivors publicly urged senators to reject Blanche in the weeks leading up to the vote. Survivor Jess Michaels described a meeting with Blanche as dismissive, saying she felt “gaslit” when she and other survivors raised questions about additional investigative leads buried in department files.
Other survivors and their advocates worked directly with lawmakers’ offices in a last-ditch effort to flip a single Republican vote, according to reporting this week. That effort ultimately fell short once Cassidy announced his support.
Blanche also faced scrutiny over a separate legal filing in which he admitted missing a deadline to respond to a lawsuit involving redactions in the Epstein files. He attributed the missed deadline to what his filing called “excusable neglect,” a characterization that drew sharp criticism from legal commentators questioning his readiness to lead the department.
The Anti-Weaponization Fund Controversy
Beyond the Epstein-related criticism, Blanche’s nomination nearly stalled over a $1.776 billion fund created to compensate individuals who claimed the federal government had targeted them politically. The fund emerged from a settlement tied to a lawsuit Trump filed against the IRS after his tax records were leaked.
Senators from both parties raised concerns about how the fund might be used to benefit Trump allies and individuals connected to the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. Blanche formally rescinded the fund earlier this week after facing pressure from Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, both of whom are leaving Congress and demanded written assurances before backing his nomination.
Sen. Adam Schiff of California was among the most vocal Democratic critics during Judiciary Committee proceedings, arguing that Blanche’s history as Trump’s personal lawyer made him unsuited to lead an independent Justice Department.
From Defense Attorney to Attorney General
Blanche’s rise through the Trump administration has been rapid. He first gained national attention defending Trump in his New York criminal case before joining the Justice Department. The Senate confirmed him as deputy attorney general last March along a party-line vote, placing him in charge of the department’s day-to-day operations.
According to Justice Department sources, Blanche moved quickly to position himself for the top job once his predecessor, Pam Bondi, was removed from the role. He stepped into the acting attorney general position and reportedly moved into Bondi’s former office within his first week leading the department.
During his tenure as deputy attorney general, Blanche played a central role in reshaping the department’s legal posture. He advanced arguments expanding presidential legal protections, oversaw significant staffing changes among career prosecutors, and pursued legal strategies that drew scrutiny from federal judges across multiple jurisdictions.
What Comes Next for the Justice Department
With his confirmation secured, Blanche now leads a department still facing active litigation over Epstein-related records, including the New Mexico lawsuit seeking full access to investigative files. Legal observers expect that case to move forward in federal court in Washington, D.C., putting continued pressure on Blanche to explain the department’s redaction and disclosure decisions.
Survivors and advocacy groups have indicated they plan to keep pushing for full transparency regardless of the confirmation outcome. Torrez, for his part, said his office intends to pursue judicial intervention to compel the federal government to hand over the materials New Mexico investigators say they need.
Blanche’s confirmation also raises questions about how the department will handle other pending matters, including scrutiny of the now-rescinded anti-weaponization fund and ongoing debates over the department’s independence from the White House.
What do you think Blanche’s confirmation means for the future of the Epstein files investigation? Share your thoughts in the comments below.