Interim Attorney General Todd Blanche, who assumed the role from Pam Bondi on Thursday, said he wants to distance the Department of Justice from its work on the Epstein files in the future.
The Epstein files have been a thorn in the DOJ leadership’s side for the past year, culminating in a new law that compelled the department to release all unclassified documents, videos, and photos related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
When Fox News host Jesse Watters asked if the Epstein files were “not handled well,” Blanche skirted the question by saying President Donald Trump did not fire Bondi because of her handling of the case.
“The Epstein files has been a saga that’s lasted … for the past year, and what happened when the president signed the [Epstein Files Transparency Act] is that the Department of Justice has now released all the files with respect to the Epstein saga,” he said on Fox News’s Jesse Watters Primetime late Thursday.
The DOJ has released about 3.5 million pages of records related to Epstein so far, short of the approximately 6 million pages that the department has identified.
“Attorney General Bondi and I appeared in front of Congress voluntarily a couple weeks ago to answer any questions they had,” the acting attorney general added. “We have made every single congressman, senator available to come and see any document — redacted, unredacted — that they want” at the department’s headquarters.
Blanche then confirmed it’s his intention to move past the Epstein files while he leads the DOJ.
“To the extent that the Epstein files [were] a part of the past year of this Justice Department, it should not be a part of anything going forward,” he said.
Shortly thereafter, Blanche pointed out that the public did not complain about the Epstein files during the Biden administration. He also credited Trump for his commitment to transparency on the issue.
Watters pushed back on his guest, saying he is “not sure you totally get what people feel about” the Epstein saga before moving to the next topic.
Despite Blanche’s intentions, the Epstein case may continue being a point of concern on Capitol Hill. The matter was raised by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) hours after Bondi’s ouster.
“Congratulations AG Blanche. Now you have 30 days to release the rest of the files before becoming criminally liable for failure to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act,” the congressman posted on X.
GRADUAL EROSION OF CONFIDENCE LED TO PAM BONDI’S ABRUPT OUSTER
Massie is one of the most vocal Republicans who has panned Bondi’s treatment of the Epstein files. He joins Democrats such as Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) in their criticism of the former attorney general.
Garcia, the ranking member of the House oversight committee, is pushing Bondi to commit to testifying before the panel after she was subpoenaed over the Epstein files. The committee is still proceeding with its plan to hear from her at a closed-door deposition on April 14. Bondi has not confirmed whether she will appear at the hearing.