Overview
- During a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department “failed” when it released Epstein-related files that included victims’ names, images, and other personal information.
- Blanche told senators he and the DOJ have removed documents when errors were flagged and pledged to the committee that the department will not recommend a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell.
- A coalition of roughly 18 Epstein survivors publicly contradicted Blanche’s claim that he had met with them or their lawyers, saying he has not met with any of them and demanding a direct DOJ meeting to explain the redaction failures.
- Lawmakers pressed Blanche over his July 2025 interview with Maxwell and her subsequent transfer to a lower-security prison camp, and they sharply questioned whether his prior role as President Trump’s personal lawyer creates conflicts for DOJ decision-making.
- The developments build on the Epstein Files Transparency Act of November 2025 and are likely to increase congressional oversight and scrutiny of DOJ file releases, prison decisions, and the department’s handling of sensitive investigations.