The survivors of Jeffrey Epstein hardened their stance against Todd Blanche, nominated by President Donald Trump to head the Department of Justice (DOJ), after holding a private meeting that, far from generating trust, ended up reinforcing criticism of the official.

The meeting, held on Thursday at the DOJ headquarters in Washington, was requested after the demand of Republican Senator Thom Tillis, whose support is considered key to Blanche's confirmation. However, at the end of the meeting, several of the attendees assured that the candidate avoided answering essential questions about the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein, the publication of files and the possible persecution of others involved.

According to AP, the conversation lasted about an hour, but the survivors agreed that they did not obtain concrete commitments or clear answers.

Annie Farmer: “You should vote against”

The most forceful statement was that of Annie Farmer, who said that the meeting confirmed her doubts about Blanche's ability to lead the DOJ.

“After meeting with Todd Blanche, I feel even more convinced that I must urge senators to vote against his confirmation as attorney general of the United States,” Farmer said in a statement reported by the aforementioned agency.

The survivor also accused the official of being “aggressive, condescending and intentionally evasive with the victims,” an attitude that, she said, contrasted with the image he projected during his confirmation hearing before the Senate.

Farmer also criticized Blanche for blaming previous administrations for failures in the Epstein case, while avoiding commitments to investigate why the report presented by her sister Maria Farmer in 1996 was never followed up or to disclose documents related to internal decisions of the Department of Justice.

Survivors question lack of answers

Another attendee, Dani (Danielle) Bensky, also expressed her disappointment. In a statement sent to the Associated Press, he said that Blanche treated the meeting as “a simple box-ticking exercise” with the goal of obtaining the votes necessary for her confirmation.

Bensky stated that the official “avoided responding clearly, repeatedly interrupted us, and was unable to commit to any action that would demonstrate good faith or begin to restore trust.” He also regretted that he did not present “any credible plan” to investigate and hold accountable beyond Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

The criticism was shared by Lara Blume McGee, who maintained that Blanche turned the meeting into “a superficial audition to get votes, not to be held accountable.” As he explained, the nominee also did not clarify why the Department of Justice released documents that revealed the identity of some victims or offer a strategy to investigate other possible accomplices.

Confirmation remains under pressure

During the meeting, the survivors repeatedly asked why the existing evidence against other accused persons was not sufficient to open new investigations. According to the story published by MeidasTouch, Blanche responded that she needed more testimonies and evidence, although the assistants reminded her that some of this material already exists in court files.