Tillis says he won't support Blanche nomination unless he meets with Epstein survivors
Blanche said he tried to arrange a meeting with survivors and addressed the records release and the Trump-IRS settlement at his hearing.

SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYCBS News is an established national newsroom with named authorship and a record of original reporting. The story attributes key claims to people speaking at the hearing and includes a Justice Department response.
- Source type — Established national news organization.
- Author attribution — A named reporter is credited.
- Editorial standards — The report uses attributed hearing statements and includes the department’s account of the rescheduled meeting.
The report draws on named participants’ statements at a public hearing, testimony from a survivor, and a written response from the Justice Department. It gives several perspectives, though it provides limited independent documentation or context for the settlement terms and the department’s handling of the records.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The report presents the concerns raised by senators and a survivor alongside Blanche’s explanations and the Justice Department’s account. It gives less detail from other perspectives on the settlement and the records release.
- Counterarguments presented — Blanche’s account and the department’s response accompany the criticism and testimony.
- Source diversity — Includes senators from both parties, a survivor, the nominee, and a department spokesperson.
- Omitted context — Limited independent detail on the settlement and the records-release process.
The article reports the hearing and competing statements in mostly neutral language. It includes criticism of the settlement as well as Blanche’s and the Justice Department’s responses, without a discernible partisan framing.
- Language tone — Mostly matter-of-fact reporting with attributed quotations.
- Source selection — Includes Tillis, Cornyn, Blanche, a survivor, and the Justice Department.
- Framing — Centers on the hearing and the conditions and questions raised there, not an editorial argument.
Sen. Thom Tillis said he will not vote to advance Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination until Blanche meets with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse. The hearing also addressed the Justice Department’s handling of Epstein-related records and a settlement involving President Trump.
At Blanche’s confirmation hearing, Tillis said he expected Blanche to meet with survivors before the Judiciary Committee votes on the nomination and that the meeting was important to securing his support. Blanche said he had tried to rearrange his schedule, and the Justice Department said the meeting was rescheduled after the survivors were unable to attend at the original time. Dani Bensky testified that her personal information was included in records released by the department and that survivors’ requests to meet with Blanche and former Attorney General Pam Bondi had gone unanswered. Blanche had apologized for information that was not properly redacted and said he was willing to meet with survivors through their lawyers.
Senators also questioned Blanche about a settlement involving President Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS. Blanche said the settlement’s “anti-weaponization” fund was “dead,” while the article reported that an immunity provision for Trump remained. Sen. John Cornyn criticized the breadth of the settlement and said he remained undecided on Blanche’s nomination. Tillis also said he wanted certainty that the fund would not return; Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he did not know whether a legislative fix could pass by unanimous consent or whether Trump would sign it.
Community verdict
24 VOTESPeople in this story
SWIPE →Acting attorney general and nominee whose hearing addressed a meeting with survivors and the Justice Department’s handling of Epstein-related records
Senator conditioning his support for Blanche’s nomination on a meeting with Epstein survivors
Tillis's version of this story ↗Senator whose death was noted in the account of the Judiciary Committee’s composition
Former attorney general whom Bensky said survivors had contacted
President whose lawsuit against the IRS was settled under terms discussed at Blanche’s hearing
Senate majority leader asked about a possible legislative fix
Texas attorney general and Senate candidate mentioned as Cornyn’s primary opponent
Senator who criticized the settlement and remained undecided on Blanche’s nomination
Part of a bigger story
10 OUTLETSTodd Blanche met with Jeffrey Epstein survivors after Sen. Thom Tillis made a meeting a condition of his support for advancing Blanche’s attorney general nomination. Left-leaning outlets emphasize survivors’ criticism of the meeting and broader Senate pressure over Blanche’s handling of Epstein-related matters. Center outlets recount Tillis’s condition and the meeting while presenting differing assessments of its value. Right-leaning outlets cast the meeting as a confirmation hurdle Blanche addressed.
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- OUTLETS
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