Podbit · Up First from NPR
Todd Blanche walks into the Senate judiciary committee today with Democrats unanimously opposed and a razor-thin Republican majority offering almost no margin for error. NPR's Ryan Lucas lays out why this is one of the most consequential confirmation hearings of the Trump era.
The New Mexico Department of Justice sent formal letters, made calls, and held meetings from February to July 2026 — and got almost nothing in return. After five months, the federal government delivered 31 pages of mostly-redacted, already-released documents out of 6 million on file.
Of over 6 million Epstein-related records identified under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the DOJ handed New Mexico 31 pages — most already public, all substantially redacted. The New Mexico AG called it functionally nonresponsive and set a July 31 deadline before filing suit.
The SDNY called the New Mexico Department of Justice directly and told them they will not cooperate on anything related to Jeffrey Epstein, anyone connected to Epstein — including Donald Trump — or Zoro Ranch. It was a stunning, open admission of federal obstruction.
Todd Blanche told Judge Sullivan the handwritten interview notes about Trump's alleged sexual abuse are 'substantially similar' to official reports — so trust him, they don't need to produce them. Katie Fang's answer: the law has no 'trust me, bro' exception, and she doesn't trust him.
Katie Fang wants $1,000 per day in fines against Blanche until he complies. After that, contempt — and potentially criminal contempt. She's methodical: the legal process requires incremental steps before incarceration, and she's walking the court through every one of them.
Epstein survivors released a video ahead of Blanche's Attorney General confirmation hearing: their names were exposed, nude images were released, their families were endangered — and Blanche says there are no investigative leads from 1,200 victims, 30 years of crimes, and 6 million files. They have one ask: vote no.
Todd Blanche reportedly spent nine hours with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. He has spent zero time with survivors — even after promising senators he would meet them in May 2026. Survivor Jess Michaels asked the question senators should have been asking all along.
At a May 2026 Senate hearing, Blanche promised to meet with Epstein survivors. Senators Murray and Van Hollen provided the contacts, followed up repeatedly — and got nothing. Their letter to Blanche before his confirmation hearing reveals a White House more focused on protecting Trump's reputation than delivering justice.
Federal Judge Emmett Sullivan ordered the Trump DOJ to turn over Epstein files, produce a privilege log, remove co-conspirator names, and hand over handwritten notes. The DOJ's response: no. They reinterpreted the court's production order as merely an order to explain why they can't produce.
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