The Justice Division gave the impression to be signaling it had lastly discovered an off-ramp from the Epstein recordsdata controversy or a minimum of a method to ease the stress that has adopted it for months.
That impression took form simply two weeks after former Lawyer Common Pam Bondi was fired, when officers stepped in to stop her from testifying underneath oath earlier than Congress. Their argument was simple: as a result of Bondi is now not within the function, the subpoena issued whereas she was lawyer normal now not applies.
However the transfer instantly drew scrutiny.
Bondi had been set to reply questions on her dealing with of thousands and thousands of pages tied to convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein — a deposition lawmakers from each events had been pushing for as frustration mounted over what they are saying is an incomplete and closely redacted launch of the recordsdata.
To some on Capitol Hill, the transfer seemed much less like a authorized technicality and extra like an try and sidestep accountability altogether.
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But when the administration believed that may quiet issues down, it didn’t final lengthy.
Appearing U.S. Lawyer Common Todd Blanche stepped into the function projecting confidence, praising Bondi’s tenure and signaling a need to maneuver ahead. As a substitute, he walked straight into the identical storm and lawmakers have been already ready.
Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie wasted no time placing Blanche on discover.
“Congratulations AG Blanche. Now you might have 30 days to launch the remainder of the recordsdata earlier than changing into criminally responsible for failure to adjust to the Epstein Information Transparency Act,” Massie mentioned bluntly in a publish on X.
Massie, together with California Democrat Ro Khanna, co-authored the laws that mandated the discharge of all Justice Division recordsdata associated to the deceased intercourse trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, and Trump signed it into regulation final yr.
Blanche, nevertheless, insisted there was nothing left to uncover.
Throughout a tense change with a reporter at a Justice Division press convention, he pushed again on the concept that key data was being withheld.
“Simply to make clear, is the general public going to be taught the identities of the lads who abused the ladies with the knowledge that you just’re releasing, and if not, why not?” a journalist requested.
Blanche shot again, “You simply baked in an assumption into your query that I’ve by no means mentioned and don’t know to be true. Is the general public going to study males that abuse these ladies and what does that imply? I don’t perceive what meaning.”
Pressed additional, he doubled down.
“If we had data — we which means the Division of Justice — about males who abused ladies, we’d prosecute them,” Blanche mentioned. “That isn’t the case.”
However critics say that declare doesn’t sq. with the details.
It took an act of Congress to drive the discharge of the recordsdata within the first place. Even then, thousands and thousands of pages stay undisclosed, and lots of the paperwork which have been launched are closely redacted and sometimes establish victims whereas obscuring alleged perpetrators.
Blanche later took to Fox Information to defend the administration’s dealing with of the state of affairs, insisting the division had been absolutely clear.
“Now we have made each single congressman, senator out there to come back and see any doc, redacted, unredacted, that they need,” he mentioned.
He additionally made clear he desires to maneuver on.
“To the extent the Epstein recordsdata have been part of the final yr of this Justice Division, it shouldn’t be part of something going ahead,” Blanche added.
That stance was rapidly challenged.
“This can be a lie,” California Rep. Robert Garcia fired again. “About 50% of the recordsdata have been launched and per our subpoena it’s unlawful to withhold them.”
Very similar to Massie, Garcia has no plans to again down.
“Blanche might imagine it’s over, however we’re simply getting began,” he warned.
The dispute now circles again to Bondi and whether or not the administration can really hold her off the witness stand.
In a letter to Congress, the Justice Division argued that Bondi is now not obligated to adjust to the subpoena issued whereas she was lawyer normal, successfully asking lawmakers to withdraw it.
However lawmakers on each side of the aisle are rejecting that argument outright.
Rep. Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican who supported compelling Bondi’s testimony, didn’t mince phrases.
“A Division of Justice with nothing to cover doesn’t keep away from a subpoena,” she mentioned.
Democrats have been much more direct.
“It’s shameful that Pam Bondi remains to be attempting to guard highly effective males and their connections to Jeffrey Epstein,” members of the Home Oversight Committee mentioned in a joint assertion, accusing her of defying Congress.
Garcia has gone additional, warning that the subpoena nonetheless applies no matter her job standing and that failure to conform may result in prison contempt fees.
“Legally, on the finish of the day, if anyone is underneath subpoena, it doesn’t matter if they modify jobs,” Garcia mentioned in an interview with MS Now. “They’re nonetheless anticipated to look earlier than Congress.”
“If she doesn’t come ahead… then we are going to maintain Pam Bondi in contempt.”
That looming confrontation threatens to maintain the Epstein recordsdata controversy alive, even because the administration tries to maneuver previous it.
And for Blanche, what could have seemed like a reset is rapidly turning into one thing else fully — a continuation of the identical battle, with stress constructing from each events and no clear off-ramp in sight.
