House Democrats hound Oversight Committee to bring in Blanche for Epstein testimony

The committee’s Republican chairman has said he wants the attorney general to sit for questions on his handling of the Epstein files, but after his Senate confirmation it’s unclear whether lawmakers have engaged with Blanche.WASHINGTON (CN) — Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on Thursday renewed their demand that Republican leadership bring Attorney General Todd Blanche to Capitol Hill to testify about his handling of the Epstein files.But while the panel’s top Republican lawmaker signaled he was still seeking testimony from the newly minted Justice Department head, it wasn’t immediately clear whether plans for such a meeting had been set — or if the Oversight Committee had even engaged with Blanche about appearing.Blanche, who until this month served as deputy attorney general and then acting attorney general, has long been a target of lawmakers probing the Justice Department’s compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the federal law compelling the Trump administration to release documents on the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.During a May meeting with the House Oversight Committee, former Attorney General Pam Bondi repeatedly stressed her one-time deputy’s involvement in the redaction and publication of the Justice Department’s Epstein documents. It was a process riddled with errors and mistakes, including some that revealed the names and images of certain victims of the late sex criminal and others that inadvertently concealed the names of his possible co-conspirators.Kentucky Representative James Comer, who chairs the oversight panel, has said Blanche should testify. But in a letter to the top Republican on Thursday, Democratic ranking member and California Representative Robert Garcia said he and his colleagues had received no indication the attorney general had agreed to participate in a hearing or interview.“We share your position that Attorney General Blanche’s testimony is critical to advancing our investigation,” Garcia told Comer. “Mr. Blanche is responsible for numerous violations of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, including the release of personally identifying information that put Epstein survivors in danger.”The Oversight Committee’s lead Democrat pointed to Bondi’s May interview, writing she’d invoked Blanche’s name more than 30 times and said he was the person responsible for overseeing the Justice Department review and release of the files. She also told lawmakers it had been Blanche’s idea to meet with Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell for an interview, after which she was transferred to a lower-security prison.“Further, as attorney general, Mr. Blanche now bears full responsibility for DOJ’s continuing failure to comply with the subpoena issued by this committee for the complete Epstein files,” Garcia said.In a statement to Courthouse News, a spokesperson for Comer argued the Kentucky Republican had “stated repeatedly” his desire to see Blanche testify.“He already willingly briefed the committee, but Democrats engaged in theatrics and walked out without asking questions,” the spokesperson said.Blanche and Bondi met with Oversight Committee lawmakers earlier this year to discuss the Epstein files. Democrats left the meeting early, complaining that neither the attorney general nor her deputy were under oath and that Bondi had refused to commit to following a committee subpoena demanding her testimony.Bondi ultimately never had to testify publicly about the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein files. She was fired in April by President Donald Trump, after which the agency argued she was no longer bound by the Oversight Committee subpoena. She eventually agreed to sit for a transcribed interview with lawmakers — a meeting subject to different rules than a hearing under oath.Blanche took responsibility for redaction errors in the files during his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing last month but said the Justice Department had taken steps to fix those issues. Just 1% of the released documents contained redaction errors, he claimed.It remains unclear whether Republicans on the Oversight Committee have yet made any overtures to Blanche or the Justice Department about his testimony.It wouldn’t be the first time, however, that the panel majority made plans for such an event without informing Democrats. Comer scheduled the May interview with Bondi without consulting them, telling Courthouse News at the time that he doesn’t “talk to” his Democratic colleagues on the Oversight Committee.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads