RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from The Independent — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 1 sourcesBlanche met with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse earlier this month after a Republican senator called for it
Bookmark Comments Go to comments Bookmark popover Removed from bookmarks
Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein ’s sexual abuse have claimed that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche , who is nominated to permanently head the Department of Justice, told them to “get to the point” during a face-to-face meeting earlier this month.
Despite the Trump administration’s best efforts to put the Epstein saga behind them, the controversy surrounding the late convicted sex offender continues as his victims fight for justice that they haven’t received in the years before and after the wealthy financier’s 2019 suicide.
Ahead of a vote to advance Blanche’s nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday, Epstein survivors went to Capitol Hill to drop off copies of the Epstein files to Republican lawmakers’ offices. With the media spotlight on them, the survivors urged the GOP not to vote to confirm Blanche as attorney general.
Dani Bensky, who said she was abused by Epstein starting at the age of 17, told reporters Wednesday that a July 16 meeting with Blanche and other survivors was “very condescending.”
When asked how Blanche was being condescending, Bensky said, “I mean, he actually said the words ‘get to the point’ to us — where survivors who have been waiting to meet with him for nine months, eight months, we’ve been asking for meetings — and he very much said, ‘can you get to the point already?’”
A source who was in the room during the meeting told The Independent it was unequivocally false to claim that Blanche made those comments to survivors.
Bensky said the Epstein survivors went into the meeting with Blanche seeking answers as to why Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving 20 years for her involvement in Epstein’s abuse, was moved to a lower security prison last summer and why “investigative leads haven’t been followed.”
“And basically we walked away with absolutely no answers, and it felt like a very no-win situation,” Bensky said.
Alessandra Serano, the DOJ’s National Coordinator for Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking who attended the July 16 meeting, told The Independent Blanche answered each of the survivors’ questions directly and that he was “routinely interrupted.”
“The Acting AG was direct with survivors about how the criminal investigation process works and what was required to build and pursue a criminal case, including that opening an investigation begins with bringing evidence to an FBI agent — several of whom were present in the room and available to speak with anyone about their case”, Serano said. “Every survivor in attendance was given direct contact information for a senior DOJ leader.”
"To say no responsibility has been taken is flatly incorrect,” Serano added.
President Donald Trump ’s first attorney general in his second term, Pam Bondi, was ousted after the botched release of DOJ files related to Epstein .
The Trump administration was accused of a cover-up to protect powerful men who were in Epstein’s orbit at some point, including the president himself , as the files that the agency did share with the public offered little that wasn’t already known and no prosecutions.
Trump officials have denied claims of a cover-up, saying the administration is the “most transparent in history.”
Trump has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. The president insists he cut ties with Epstein years before the wealthy pedophile — who died by suicide in a New York City jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges — was under investigation.
Blanche’s meeting with Epstein survivors came hours after Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina said it needed to happen before he voted to confirm the acting attorney general. Tillis is a key vote in advancing his nomination through the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“I’m trying to get to ‘yes,’ but this is a very important part of getting to ‘yes,’” Tillis said during a Senate hearing.
Serano told The Independent that the DOJ “ rearranged schedules to make that meeting happen as soon as possible."
Blanche admitted shortly after the meeting that it “wasn't all cordial.”
“Because there's something that they want that I don't think I can give them, which is some form of justice. And I want to be able to give justice in the form of prosecutions, and maybe we can do a prosecution at some point," he said.
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.