On Thursday, July 17th, 2026, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche met for about an hour with accusers of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein at the Justice Department headquarters in Washington. This meeting followed a request from Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, whose support is pivotal for advancing Blanche's nomination to lead the Justice Department.

The session was attended by senior Justice Department officials, FBI special agents, and victim services representatives. After the meeting, Blanche encouraged the accusers to provide any information that could assist FBI investigations. A Justice Department spokesperson stated, "Blanche answered questions and walked through what is needed for investigations to proceed." They added, "While some victims said that they had not reached out to the FBI under this administration, he encouraged victims to meet with FBI investigators as the next step, and attendees spoke with agents after the meeting about scheduling interviews."

Dani Bensky, an accuser whose personal information was mistakenly released in documents related to the federal Epstein investigation last year, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier that day and participated in the meeting. However, some accusers expressed dissatisfaction with Blanche's approach. Epstein accuser Annie Farmer described Blanche as "abrasive, condescending, and intentionally noncommittal to survivors," contrasting with his prior testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Farmer also criticized Blanche for not adequately addressing the release of materials exposing survivors' identities and for lacking a credible plan to pursue accountability beyond Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

The meeting occurred hours after Senator Tillis stated it was necessary before he could support Blanche's confirmation, amid ongoing criticism of the Justice Department's handling of Epstein's case and related investigative files.