Senator Tillis’s Condition for Attorney General Nomination

During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday, Senator Thom Tillis from North Carolina set a condition for his support of Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general. He insisted that Mr. Blanche meet with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse to gain his vote.

Tillis’s demand came as the committee discussed Mr. Blanche’s suitability for the role. Mr. Blanche is currently the acting attorney general. For several months, Epstein survivors have attempted to meet him without success.

Though Tillis has spoken positively about Blanche’s nomination, he introduced this new condition linked to the Epstein case on Thursday. The case is contentious for both President Trump and the Justice Department, including Mr. Blanche.

If all Democrats on the committee vote against Blanche, a single opposing Republican vote could block the nomination. Tillis has previously threatened to withhold support for other nominations but often refrains from opposing the Trump administration in final votes.

During the Wednesday hearing, questions about the Epstein case were frequent. Mr. Blanche expressed uncertainty about meeting with Epstein survivors, stating he could not do so without their lawyer present. He suggested an aide could meet them instead.

On Thursday, Tillis emphasized the necessity of a direct meeting between Blanche and the survivors. “I expect that meeting to occur before I’m willing to vote out of the committee,” Tillis stated. He noted the committee’s timeline offers Blanche about two weeks for this meeting before the vote.

Tillis asserted that reaching a “yes” vote is contingent upon this meeting, saying, “There should not be any reason” for Blanche to avoid meeting with Epstein’s abuse survivors.

Inquiries on Wednesday focused on Blanche’s handling of the Epstein case, specifically his decision to interview Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s co-conspirator. Following the interview, Maxwell was moved to a less restrictive prison, a decision criticized by federal prison veterans as against policy.

Karoun Demirjian contributed to this report.

Devlin Barrett reports on the Justice Department and the F.B.I. for The Times.