Melanie Stansbury urges Senate to ‘firmly reject’ Todd Blanche’s AG nomination

Rep. Melanie Stansbury urged the Senate not to confirm Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche for the permanent post, claiming that he was involved in the "largest criminal cover-up in American history," referring to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's case. The Department of Justice (DOJ) directed by law to release all documents related to the disgraced financier under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, but about 3 million documents are still under wraps, which has prompted lawmakers to raise questions over the department's handling of the case.

"Todd Blanche has no business being anywhere near the Attorney General's office," Stansbury said in a post on X. "We are calling on our colleagues in the Senate to firmly reject his nomination and to vote no because he has defied the public confidence, he has broken the law, he has broken the public trust, he has exposed victims and survivors of sexual assault in their names, their locations, their home addresses, and he has conspired with the President of the United States and the cabinet, to cover up this case."

The DOJ came under immense scrutiny after the first 3 million documents of the Epstein files were released, as personal information of victims was unredacted in certain documents while those who were believed to be guilty found their information well protected. Blanche was also named in a New York Times report which stated that members of the Trump administration used the White House Situation Room to discuss the release of the files.

The Acting AG was at the Capitol on Wednesday for his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing to permanently become the U.S. Attorney General. Epstein survivors made a video urging Senators to reject him for the role over his handling of the documents. During the hearing, it was revealed that several Epstein survivors were present at the Capitol. Blanche urged survivors and their representatives to meet with the FBI to help them with their investigation into the elaborate case, and said that the DOJ would not shy away from investigating, indicting, or prosecuting any individual who may be related to it.

"When it comes to the victims of this horrible man, we will never, never, not talk to victims. We will never not do everything we can to prosecute anybody who committed any crimes against any of these women," he said. Unfortunately for the Acting Attorney General, some Epstein survivors are not too keen on him permanently becoming the U.S. Attorney General.

Dani Bensky, an Epstein survivor, appeared in front of Senators on Thursday and lambasted him for the DOJ's handling of the files. "Today, Todd Blanche has been at the helm of the release of nude images of survivors, the outing of Jane Does, and the exposure of more than 100 victims' identifying information and documents describing horrific acts of abuse, including my own," she said.

"Instead of treating this release as its own violation and holding the man who led it accountable, you have a decision on whether you place him in the highest law enforcement position in this country," she added. Bensky was also questioned by Senator Mazie Hirono, who asked whether Blanche had exhibited a "dismissive attitude" towards Epstein survivors. "1,000 percent. Yes," she answered.