Todd Blanche Confirmation in Doubt as Republican Vows to Hold Up Process
Newsweek · C · trust 58/100
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. In a tense second day of testimony, Epstein survivor Dani Bensky told senators that the Department of Justice repeatedly exposed her identity in multiple releases of the Epstein files.
Her account comes as Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche seeks a permanent appointment and as his confirmation grows more precarious. Survivors, lawmakers, and even some Republicans say Blanche’s refusal to meet with accusers could determine whether his nomination advances.
Bensky’s testimony marked the most emotional moment of the hearing, highlighting the stakes for survivors whose private information — including names, phone numbers, former addresses, and workplaces — appeared unredacted in DOJ documents.
“These documents contain disturbing yet incomplete accounts of my abuse,” she said. “They were available not only for the entire world to see but my child, my students, my friends, my employers, my colleagues and my family. It was humiliating.”
Bensky recounted how her name appeared in a December release of Epstein files, again in January, and a third time — despite repeated efforts by her lawyer to prevent further disclosures. She said the DOJ did not remove her information until April, months after Blanche testified that improperly released data had been “rectified immediately.”
“That is entirely not true,” she told senators, adding that some survivors’ information remains online today. “There were hundreds of victims that were outed. We’ve been receiving threats. We’ve had loss of jobs, we’ve had loss of confidentiality and privacy.”
Behind her, survivors stood holding childhood photos — a visual reminder of how young they were when they said Epstein abused them. The family of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who died in 2025, also attended and submitted a statement opposing Blanche’s nomination.
Bensky sharply criticized Blanche for spending “approximately nine hours” meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell , Epstein’s longtime associate, while never meeting with survivors.
“He did not even spend nine minutes meeting with a survivor,” she said. She added that survivors learned of Maxwell’s transfer to a minimum-security facility only through news reports. “Imagine what that feels like as a survivor… with no explanation, no outreach and no transparency.”
Her testimony directly contradicted Blanche’s claim that he was “prohibited” from meeting accusers who have lawyers — a statement Democratic senators said was false.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R‑N.C., said he will not vote to advance Blanche’s nomination until Blanche meets with Epstein survivors. With Republicans holding a narrow 11–10 majority on the committee after the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, Tillis’ stance effectively stalls the nomination.
“I’m trying to get to yes, but this is a very important part of getting to yes,” Tillis said. He added that Blanche could arrange the meeting “over the next two weeks.”
Sen. Dick Durbin, D‑Ill., echoed the demand, saying Blanche “should not get a vote” until he meets with survivors. “To shun you and to snub you at this point, there’s something else going on here,” Durbin told Bensky.
This is a developing story. Updates to come.
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