Blanche-led DoJ likely to derail Epstein survivors’ pursuit of justice, experts say | Jeffrey Epstein

As Donald Trump’s former defense lawyer Todd Blanche is expected to be confirmed as attorney general, many Jeffrey Epstein survivors have sounded the alarm that a U.S. justice department under his direction would derail their quest for justice.

In a letter urging Republican senators Thom Tillis and John Cornyn to reject her nomination, the survivors said Blanche’s handling of the Epstein case as acting attorney general was characterized by a succession of missteps.

They said Blanche, who reportedly spearheaded the disclosure of documents under the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act, authorized the disclosure of survivors’ names, photos and identifying information, but omitted the names of accused abusers and enablers.

They stated that while more than 1,000 young girls and women were abused, not a single person, other than Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, faced charges. And at a recent sit-down meeting with survivors at Tillis’ insistence, they said the survivors “received diversion, disruption and gaslighting for an hour.”

The survivors’ concerns about Blanche by no means exist in a vacuum and have only fanned the flames of the controversy that has dogged Trump since his return to office. Trump promised during the campaign to release all the Epstein files; It has strengthened supporters’ belief that there is a global sex trafficking ring involving high-profile business and political figures.

But Trump’s justice department released only a trickle of information until Congress intervened after a series of embarrassing revelations highlighting Trump’s former friendship with Epstein. Trump has denied all wrongdoing, including regarding Epstein.

Blanche’s meeting with Maxwell in prison last summer and her subsequent transfer to a lower-security facility further fueled outrage over the Justice Department’s inadequate explanations. The combination of circumstances raised the question: What would a justice department run by Blanche mean for Epstein survivors’ pursuit of justice?

Legal veterans told the Guardian that the Ministry of Justice under Blanche’s leadership was likely to derail efforts to hold survivors accountable. Some advocates for survivors said all hope was not lost, noting that the roadblocks under Blanche likely did not pose a permanent impediment to justice.

partner Bryan Sullivan Early Sullivan Wright Gizer and McRaeBased on what he read and saw in Blanche’s testimony before the judiciary committee, he said he thought the confirmation would mean “more pressure and no active investigation” into Epstein’s sex trafficking.

“I think it’s because that’s what Trump wants. He wants this to end,” Sullivan said. “And that’s one of the reasons he got fired. [former attorney general Pam] Bondi, because to me she didn’t make it go away.

Ron Kuby, a prominent criminal defense attorney who focuses on civil rights, expressed similar thoughts about Blanche’s confirmation.

“This means that no other perpetrators will be held criminally responsible for their misconduct,” he said. “This is no different than what happened throughout the Trump administration and the Biden administration.”

“All the millionaires, billionaires, sycophants and others who were in Epstein’s orbit and enabled him have not been brought to justice,” Kuby said. “And they won’t.”

Carl Tobias, Williams legal chair at the University of Richmond School of Law, said that even if Blanche is not confirmed, Trump could serve as acting attorney general for the remainder of his term, meaning he would maintain control over the Epstein case.

“Of course it will have more power if it is formally confirmed by the Senate… but even if it is not confirmed it will have a lot of power,” Tobias said. “So I can’t be too optimistic about what he can do about the Epstein files or reassure survivors.”

While there are some legal avenues for survivors to seek justice outside the allegedly recalcitrant Justice Department, lawyers warned that success would be an uphill battle.

“You can bomb them [public records] make demands and then sue Foia for non-responsiveness. [Freedom of Information Act] But that alone is a long process,” Sullivan said. “Obviously the problem with all of this is [that] “This all takes time.”

“The budget for the courts is seriously inadequate [and] “They’re understaffed,” he said. “It’s going to take a lot of time to go through this kind of legal process.”

A lawsuit has been filed against federal officials over their handling of the Epstein investigation, alleging that their failure to act years ago led to further abuses. Kuby said such cases are “extremely difficult to win.”

Kuby explained the legal complexities: “It is always true that if the government had done something different, a different outcome might have occurred.” “There is no generalized duty to protect particular individuals outside of a special relationship with the victims.”

“I certainly sympathize with those allegations, but the government has not historically been that way.”

Tobias similarly stated that the odds of winning the case against the Department of Justice were “difficult.”

Representatives for Tillis or Cornyn did not respond to requests for comment.

Asked to comment on survivors’ concerns, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said: “Todd Blanche did an excellent job as acting attorney general and will continue to do so as attorney general.”

Blanche, senior Justice Department officials, FBI agents and victim services representatives “met with the Epstein victims last week and had productive initial discussions,” a justice department spokesman said in a statement.

The spokesman said Blanche “answered questions and conveyed what was needed for the investigations to progress.”

“While some victims said they did not reach out to the FBI under this administration, he encouraged victims to meet with FBI investigators as a next step, and participants talked about scheduling interviews with agents after the meeting. The justice department is committed to ensuring justice for all victims of human trafficking and sex crimes.”

Gretchen Carlson and Julie Roginsky filed sexual harassment lawsuits against former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes and co-founded the nonprofit survivor advocacy organization. Raise Our VoiceHe expressed hope that the survivors would one day find justice, even if they faced further setbacks.

Carlson stated that he was disappointed that Republicans were ready to accept Blanche’s candidacy and noted that Trump went on the offensive against Cornyn and Tillis.

“They have the ability not to allow that,” Carlson said, explaining that not everything should be on their shoulders, “everyone should have questions about Todd Blanche being attorney general and the Epstein affairs.”

So a midterm election is coming up. “In all the work I’ve done on the Hill to get bills passed, I’ve learned, first of all, that you never know who you’re going to get on your side,” Carlson said. “So you never judge until you actually try.”

“I feel the same way about it,” he said. “We don’t know who’s going to potentially come to the table and say, ‘You know what, I’m going to take over this business.’ [Republican congressman] Tom Massie was working on this.

“We can’t do this from any negative perspective. Even though it looks like we’re going to have a bit of a setback if Todd Blanche is confirmed, I think there’s always a way to find victory.”

Roginsky expressed similar views. He advised survivors and advocates to continue pressing for justice, even though a possible Blanche confirmation would represent “a slap in the face to all those who have already fought a very rigged system against survivors.”

“If you think about how far our movement has come in the last decade, we’ve seen tremendous progress,” Roginsky said of Lift Our Voices’ successful defense of federal legislation against confidentiality agreements and forced arbitration regarding workplace sexual misconduct.

“We have seen some setbacks, but ultimately the improvements will always outweigh the setbacks.”