Todd Blanche Meets 4 Epstein Victims as 2 GOP Senators Weigh Blocking AG Nomination

Q: What loophole could revive the supposedly dead $1.8 billion Justice Department fund?

The main loophole is that the fund’s legal foundation appears to remain intact even though Todd Blanche says it is “dead.” Senators’ concern is that the settlement agreement that created the $1.8 billion fund has not been formally rescinded, and Blanche has declined to state in court filings that the fund is permanently terminated. That matters because the agreement’s language reportedly still leaves room for future activation or modification by the parties. Critics argue that, on paper, the fund can still exist unless the Justice Department formally withdraws or voids the settlement terms. Cornyn’s concern is precisely that verbal assurances are not the same as a binding legal shutdown. The risk is heightened by Blanche’s refusal to put the fund’s demise in writing and by the department’s resistance to a more permanent court-ordered block. Judges have already signaled skepticism that public statements alone are enough to prevent the fund from resurfacing. There is also concern that, even if this specific fund does not move forward, similar payouts could be pursued through other legal channels, including existing federal claims mechanisms such as the Judgment Fund or the Federal Tort Claims Act. That is why senators are focused not just on Blanche’s testimony, but on whether the underlying settlement language is formally closed off.

3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Jul 16

Four Epstein victims met Todd Blanche at the Justice Department on Thursday after Sen. Thom Tillis said he would not vote on the attorney general nomination until that meeting occurred.
Tillis said the session was a key step toward "getting to yes" after victims accused Blanche and the DOJ of exposing identifying information in Epstein files while he served as deputy attorney general.
Two Republicans on the 21-member Senate Judiciary Committee — Tillis and John Cornyn — said they remain undecided, also citing unresolved concerns about a now-defunct $1.8 billion DOJ "Anti-Weaponization" fund.
If either senator joins all 10 Democrats in opposing Blanche, the nomination would stall in committee and never reach the full Senate, though Blanche could keep serving as acting attorney general.