Sen. Thom Tillis on Thursday set a new condition for his vote to confirm Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to attorney general: He wants Blanche to meet with Epstein victims first.
During the second day of hearings for Blanche’s nomination as attorney general, Tillis, a North Carolina Republican who will retire at the end of this term, said his support for Blanche could hinge upon Blanche’s willingness to meet with the victims.
“I expect that meeting to occur before I’m willing to vote out of this committee and I’m trying to get to ‘yes,’ but this is a very important part of getting to ‘yes,’” Tillis said.
The newest potential roadblock for Blanche’s confirmation came during the outside witness day of testimony for Blanche, which included former Attorney General John Ashcroft, a victim of deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and a pardon attorney fired by the Trump administration. The Senate Judiciary Committee testimony is aimed at drawing expertise from outside experts to, depending on the viewpoint, bolster or cut down a Cabinet member’s chances of advancing.
The current 11-10 breakdown of the panel could allow any one Republican to vote with Democrats and potentially sink the nomination. The earliest the panel could vote on Blanche’s nomination is likely July 30.
