Tillis withholds Blanche vote until AG pick meets Epstein survivors

What they're saying: "I have not made a final decision, but Mr. Blanche said very quickly yesterday that he would meet with the Epstein victims today if it could be arranged," Tillis said during Thursday's committee hearing.

• "[I]t seemed to me that Mr. Blanche was willing to say that he would meet with them — and counsel. I understand the restriction that counsel has to be present. I expect that meeting to occur before I'm willing to vote out of this committee."
• "And I'm trying to get to yes, but this is a very important part of getting to yes. There should not be any reason why, based on what Mr. Blanche said yesterday, if he said that he would do it today, then he can certainly do it over the next two weeks."

Catch up quick: Blanche said during Wednesday's hearing that he was "prohibited from meeting directly with" survivors but added that he has met with many of their attorneys.

• "If they are represented by counsel, we will work with their counsel. If they don't have a lawyer, I will certainly make arrangements to make sure the right people at the Department of Justice meet with them."

• He also said he would arrange for a staffer to speak further with the survivors.

Yes, but: Earlier in Thursday's hearing, Epstein survivor Dani Bensky said that she was "not aware" of a staffer reaching out to follow up on Blanche's comments.

• "They have not contacted us," Bensky said.
• The DOJ did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

Zoom out: Tillis announced in 2025 that he would retire from Congress when his term ends in 2027.

Go deeper: Blanche sidesteps questions on federal agents at polls