Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche faced sharp criticism Saturday from a survivor of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who accused him of “gaslighting” her and other victims during a tense meeting last week. Jess Michaels, speaking on MS NOW’s Alex Witt program, described the encounter as a frustrating dead end where Blanche repeatedly shut down their questions about whether Epstein-related documents in the Department of Justice’s possession could spark fresh investigations.
“It felt like we were hitting a brick wall when we were trying to talk with him about — but what about this?” Michaels said. “But why can’t you look at that? You know, we were giving him information that he could have talked with us about, but we were gaslit. We were skipped over. It was frustrating, to say the least.”
Michaels alleged that Blanche initially tried to fob off the meeting with his assistant before agreeing to sit down with survivors last Thursday. She suggested his motive was political: “He took the meeting because he wants this promotion,” she said, referring to his nomination to become permanent attorney general. Blanche had earlier told lawmakers he couldn’t legally meet with Epstein survivors, but pressure from key senators forced a change of course.
Patronizing Behavior and Unacknowledged Harm
The survivor’s account paints a picture of a dismissive official who failed to engage with their trauma. “I think his attempt at empathy and compassion really came off as patronizing and condescending,” Michaels told Witt. “So I did not feel that he was a public servant there addressing crime victims that had experienced horrific abuse.” In a separate interview Friday with MS NOW’s Nicole Wallace, she summed up her reaction as “disappointed, disturbed and undaunted.”
“I mean, I can’t even tell you how many times and how many different ways it was explained to Todd Blanche in that meeting the harm that was caused, and it was not acknowledged,” she said, reiterating her charge of patronizing behavior.
The meeting came after Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, a pivotal vote in Blanche’s confirmation process, conditioned his support on Blanche sitting down with survivors. Tillis later called the session “a very important part of getting to yes” for the nomination. But survivors are now urging the Senate to block Blanche’s confirmation, arguing he failed to take their concerns seriously.
DOJ File Release Under Fire
The controversy is part of a broader storm over the Justice Department’s handling of Epstein-related documents. The Epstein Files Transparency Act forced the DOJ to release its records on the disgraced financier, with redactions meant to protect victims. In January, the department published a final tranche of 3 million documents, but the rollout was marred by delays and criticism over redaction methods.
Several survivors have alleged that the DOJ’s digital “Epstein library” on its website was not properly redacted, potentially exposing victim identities. Blanche acknowledged before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that “there were mistakes that were made” in the process and said the department moved quickly to fix errors. Yet Michaels and others remain unconvinced, arguing the DOJ’s approach has been dismissive from the start.
The confrontation adds to Blanche’s rocky path to confirmation. He has also faced scrutiny over his ties to former President Donald Trump, as well as a separate dispute with Senator John Cornyn over a $1.776 billion fund. With survivors now publicly opposing his bid, the pressure on Tillis and other swing votes is intensifying.
