Acting Attorney General Blanche Faces Intense Capitol Hill Scrutiny Over Epstein Files and Trump Ties

Blanche apologises on Capitol Hill for Epstein – Trump’s acting Attorney General Todd Blanche endured a demanding bipartisan examination on Capitol Hill as lawmakers considered his bid for a permanent position heading the nation’s premier law enforcement organization. The confirmation hearing covered multiple contentious topics, including Blanche’s close personal connection with President Donald Trump, the handling of Epstein-related documents, and a disputed settlement between Trump and the Internal Revenue Service that a federal judge recently overturned.

President Trump removed his former Attorney General Pam Bondi from her position following intense political debate surrounding the release of Epstein files. Blanche has since been steering the Department of Justice during this transitional period.

Independence and Relationship with the President Under Question

Entering Wednesday’s proceedings, Blanche confronted inquiries regarding his potential independence from Trump, who has promised “retribution” toward political adversaries during his second presidential term. The President has exerted pressure on the Justice Department to pursue contentious prosecutions against several of his critics, among them former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Blanche previously served as Trump’s personal legal counsel in three of the four significant criminal cases the President encountered before the 2024 election. Most prominently, Blanche directed Trump’s legal defense during his New York criminal trial.

Senator John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican who generally backs the administration, questioned Blanche on Wednesday about his friendship with the President. “I’m his lawyer – was his lawyer,” Blanche replied. “And now I’m the deputy attorney general.” He continued, “I met him as his criminal defence attorney, I’m not sure there’s very many people who have ever had a criminal defence attorney who calls that person their friend.”

IRS Settlement and Anti-Weaponisation Fund Dispute

One day prior to Blanche’s confirmation hearing, a federal judge invalidated a settlement agreement involving Trump, his business entities and family members, alongside the Internal Revenue Service. This arrangement granted immunity from future tax audits and established a $1.7 billion (£1.2 billion) “anti-weaponisation fund” for individuals who felt they had been unfairly targeted by government agencies.

The settlement generated bipartisan criticism on Capitol Hill, prompting senators from both parties to question Blanche about the agreement’s status. Republican senators particularly wanted Blanche to confirm publicly that the fund was truly terminated.

“You have no reason to believe that the so-called weaponisation fund will continue because of the settlement, agreement, is that correct?” Senator Mike Lee, a Republican, inquired of Blanche.

“I am confident it will not,” Blanche responded. “It should never be paid out,” said another Republican senator, Thom Tillis. He pressed Blanche for an “agreed to piece of text, coming from the administration, that just renders this thing dead, gone.”

Blanche Accepts Responsibility for Epstein File Errors

The Epstein files represent the most significant challenge confronting the Justice Department since Trump’s return to office. Following public outcry, Congress required the Justice Department to release millions of documents connected to the investigation of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Nevertheless, the gradual release pace and extensive redactions have attracted criticism from legislators and survivors alike.

Blanche encountered detailed questioning from both parties regarding the Justice Department’s management of the files. Approximately a dozen women, wearing T-shirts displaying images of the redacted documents, attended the hearing to voice their protest.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, the senior Republican on the committee, questioned Blanche about “problematic redactions,” “insufficient effort” on following investigative leads and “refusal to meet with victims,” along with concerns about Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell’s transfer to a lower-security prison.

Blanche explained that redacting and releasing six million pages of files within a compressed timeframe constituted a “Herculean task.” “There were mistakes that were made, and so approximately 1% of the redactions had to be fixed,” Blanche noted. “We had dozens of lawyers on call.”

During one exchange, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal asked whether Blanche would apologize to Epstein survivors for “the mishandling and mistakes.” “I will absolutely say that any mistake that we made should not have been made,” Blanche stated. “And I very much. I very much apologise.”

Senator Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat, also questioned Blanche about demands from some of Trump’s supporters that he serve a third presidential term, despite constitutional prohibitions against such an arrangement.