Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina stated on Thursday, July 16, 2026, that he will not support the nomination of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche unless Blanche meets with survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's abuse. Tillis made this demand during the second day of Blanche's confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The hearing included testimony from five witnesses, among them Dani Bensky, whose name and personal information were mistakenly disclosed in documents related to the federal investigation into Epstein released by the Justice Department last year. Bensky informed the committee that her name was among more than 350 survivors submitted for redaction prior to the release of the Epstein files in December.

Tillis, whose Senate term ends in early January, expressed a "positive predisposition" toward Blanche but has not yet decided whether to support his confirmation. He emphasized that Blanche had quickly agreed the previous day to meet with Epstein victims if arrangements could be made, and Tillis expects this meeting to occur before the Judiciary Committee votes on the nomination, which is not expected to happen for at least two weeks.

Blanche acknowledged during the hearing that "mistakes were made" in the release of the Epstein files and apologized to survivors whose personal information was not properly redacted. He also indicated willingness to meet with survivors and their counsel, acknowledging the necessity of counsel's presence during such meetings.

Tillis told the committee, "I'm trying to get to yes, but this is a very important part of getting to yes. There should not be any reason why, based on what Mr. Blanche said yesterday, if he said that he would do it today, then he can certainly do it over the next two weeks."

Additionally, Tillis indicated to reporters that he requires the president's endorsement of a legislative fix to ensure a bill addressing related issues could pass the House, after suggesting the Senate might pass it by unanimous consent.

Sources