Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina has set a condition for Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general. During the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Tillis insisted Blanche meet with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse to secure his vote.

Epstein’s survivors have tried to meet with Blanche for several months but have failed. Tillis’s support is crucial; if Democrats vote against Blanche, a single Republican ‘no’ could prevent his nomination. Tillis has previously threatened to withhold support for nominees but often relents during final votes.

At the hearing, Blanche was questioned on his handling of the Epstein case. He indicated he was noncommittal about meeting the survivors, citing the need for their lawyer’s presence. He suggested an aide could meet them instead.

Tillis emphasized that a face-to-face meeting with survivors should happen before he supports Blanche’s nomination. The Senate schedule provides Blanche roughly two weeks to arrange this meeting before the vote. Tillis seeks agreement on the nomination but stresses the importance of this requirement.

Blanche’s involvement in the Epstein case drew attention at the hearing. Senators questioned his interviewing of Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s co-conspirator, which led to her transfer to a lenient prison facility. This decision reportedly violated federal prison policy.