Blanche Stonewalls on Epstein Files Rollout and $1.8 Billion Slush Fund, Refuses to Commit to Meeting Survivors
WASHINGTON – Appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee today for his attorney general confirmation hearing, Todd Blanche insisted the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” is dead while refusing to put that in writing, wouldn’t commit to meeting with Jeffrey Epstein’s survivors despite saying his “heart breaks” for them, and revealed his true loyalties with an unscripted slip: when asked if he and Trump are friends, Blanche answered, “I’m his lawyer,” before correcting himself to “was.”
“Todd Blanche told the country everything it needs to know today, and he did it by accident,” said Not Above the Law co-chairs Lisa Gilbert, Praveen Fernandes, Kelsey Herbert, and Brett Edkins. “He said he’s Trump’s lawyer, not the lawyer for the United States, and then tried to walk it back. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t commit to meeting with Epstein survivors, and even a key Republican vote on this committee says Blanche ‘basically confirmed’ the slush fund isn’t really dead. This is a nominee who answers to one client, and it isn’t the American people. The Senate should reject him.”
Here are the key lowlights from Blanche’s confirmation hearing:
BLANCHE SAYS THE QUIET PART OUT LOUD: “I’M HIS LAWYER”
Asked directly by Sen. Kennedy whether he and Trump are friends, Blanche answered without hesitation: “I’m his lawyer,” catching himself only after the fact and correcting to “was his lawyer, and now I’m the deputy attorney general.” The moment crystallized what Democrats on the committee have argued for months: Blanche has never stopped representing Trump personally, even while serving as the nation’s chief law enforcement officer.
BLANCHE’S OWN WORDS CATCH UP TO HIM ON JAN. 6
Just two months ago, Blanche stood in front of a cheering CPAC crowd and bragged that “by 5 p.m. on Jan. 20, every one of them was either pardoned or had their sentence commuted,“ mocking critics who said the administration had “done nothing” by telling them they had “a very short memory.” Today, confronted by Sen. Whitehouse with his own words, Blanche tried to have it both ways, telling Sen. Coons “I wasn’t celebrating it” and insisting to the committee that he “never said that any sort of violence against law enforcement is appropriate,” while still defending Trump’s “absolute right to pardon anybody for any reason he sees fit.” Blanche admitted he wasn’t even consulted before Trump handed out blanket pardons and commutations to the more than 1,500 people charged in the attack, including those convicted of assaulting police officers.
BLANCHE “BASICALLY CONFIRMED” THE SLUSH FUND ISN’T DEAD
Sen. Cornyn read directly from the settlement agreement, which says its terms can only be changed “upon the written agreement of the parties,” and asked Blanche point blank whether that written agreement exists. It doesn’t. Blanche could only say the fund is “not moving forward” and conceded that Trump’s lawyers could still move to enforce the settlement down the road. Walking out of the hearing, Cornyn told CNN’s Manu Raju he remains undecided on Blanche’s nomination and said of the fund, “he basically confirmed that it’s not dead.” A federal judge made the same point two days earlier, noting in a ruling that Blanche has refused to submit a signed statement to the court confirming the fund is gone.
BLANCHE DEFENDS A TAX SETTLEMENT NO ONE ELSE GOT
Blanche told the committee settlements like Trump’s are “done regularly” and “not unique” to the DOJ or IRS. But the same IRS contractor whose leak triggered Trump’s lawsuit also exposed the tax records of thousands of other Americans, including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Warren Buffett. None of them got a $1.8 billion fund or a permanent audit shield out of it.
BLANCHE STILL WON’T COMMIT ON EPSTEIN
Sen. Booker pressed Blanche on his record on Epstein survivors and DOJ ethics, telling him plainly: “You’re asking this body for a promotion, and you make a lot of promises… But we don’t need your promises. We have your record.” Durbin separately gave Blanche one more chance to commit to meeting with Epstein’s victims within 30 days and got only a general statement that his “heart breaks” for survivors, with no firm commitment on timing.