Dick Durbin Demands Todd Blanche Sit Down With Epstein Victims in Heated Exchange: ‘We’re Gonna Hold You to It’

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) pressed Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche during a heated exchange to meet with the victims of convicted child sex predator Jeffrey Epstein, some of whom were in the room with them.

During Blanche’s confirmation hearing in the Senate on Wednesday, he told Durbin multiple times that he was legally barred from meeting with Epstein victims if they are represented by attorneys. Durbin demanded Blanche commit to meeting with the victims in the next 30 days and was floored when Blanche did not commit to that or inform the committee of any potential meetings with victims.

“Can I get your word under oath that within the next 30 days, you will personally sit down with these 10 victims and hear their case in terms of what needs to be done by the Department of Justice?” Durbin asked after noting 10 Epstein victims were present for the hearing.

“I appreciate them being here today. I also have somebody from my office who has spent her entire career working on cases like Mr. Epstein’s. She’s in charge of our task force investigating human trafficking. She’s available to talk to them,” Blanche said.

“She can sit right next to you when you meet with these survivors,” Durbin responded.

“I have never said I will not meet with survivors,” Blanche said.

“Will you meet with these 10 survivors? I’m asking you on the record,” Durbin continued pressing.

Blanche said he’s “prohibited” from meeting with the victims if they have legal representation, but he could arrange for the right Department of Justice officials to meet with victims and their lawyers.

Durbin pressed Blanche on a 30-day timetable, and Blanche declared he could get the meetings on the books that same day.

“I think you wanna be in the room… I think you ought to be in the room because you ought to hear this. You’ve had singular responsibility for these files. There is a delay in meeting the statutory requirement of disclosure. You were involved in that. I think you want to be part of this,” Durbin said.

“I can keep on repeating myself, but I said it could get done as soon as today. It could have gotten done last week. We remain available to meet with any victim or their representative at any time,” Blanche said.

Durbin asked if he would notify the committee when the meetings are done, something Blanche wasn’t sure he could legally do.

“That would be prohibited by law if they’re talking about an ongoing investigation,” Blanche said, leaving Durbin visibly surprised.

“You’re dancing on the head of a pen here,” Durbin eventually told Blanche.

“I’m not dancing on any pen at all,” Blanche shot back.

“You have these survivors who have the courage to come before this committee, have the courage to tell their terrible stories, how they were exploited. Don’t you think it’s important that we have a prompt response by our government to these survivors?” Durbin asked.

Blanche declared he’d be happy to prosecute anyone associated with Epstein who is guilty of abuse.

Blanche has received backlash from both sides of the political aisle over the lack of prosecutions around Epstein’s case, redactions in the files released, and the DOJ’s insistence that Epstein only trafficked women for himself, based on available evidence. His longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell is currently serving 20 years for sex trafficking, which the DOJ said she did in coordination with Epstein.

“If you’re truly committed to extraordinary transparency and you’re willing to meet with these victims, I hope you will do it immediately or we’re gonna hold you to it,” Durbin told Blanche before moving to another topic.

Watch above via MS NOW.

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