Epstein survivors wanted justice. Tillis used one vote to get them a meeting– www.washingtonexaminer.com
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EXCERPT:
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche spent about an hour Thursday afternoon at the Justice Department with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse. The meeting resolved nothing. Blanche told reporters afterward that the meeting was not entirely cordial because the survivors wanted “some form of justice” he did not believe he could deliver. The survivors described deflection and no credible plan for accountability.
That meeting did not deliver justice. It did show that advice and consent still mean something when a senator treats his vote as leverage rather than a ceremony.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, where the arithmetic on this nomination is tight. With Democrats opposed, his vote could determine whether the committee advances Blanche at all. On Wednesday, Blanche cited ethical restrictions on meeting directly with survivors who have lawyers, while insisting the department had dealt with their representatives. On Thursday, survivors testified that their requests had gone unanswered. Tillis drew a line. He said he had not made a final decision, and then he said he expected the meeting to happen before the committee marks up the nomination. “I’m trying to get to yes,” he told the room.
Getting to yes is not the same as getting out of the way. Tillis told reporters he wanted to create a forcing mechanism to make sure the meeting took place. The forcing mechanism worked in about six hours. Blanche was at the Justice Department by 4:30 that afternoon. Tillis then posted that he appreciated the willingness to sit down and listen, which is roughly the opposite of a victory lap.