Survivors of Epstein’s Abuse Say They Feel Snubbed by the DOJ

Weeks after a meeting with Todd Blanche, survivors and advocates say they’re losing hope that the attorney general will probe the late sex offender’s network.

U.S. Congress

“Literally, you could take any avenue and just say, ‘Good, we will move on this one thing and start there,’” said Dani Bensky, a survivor who testified at Blanche’s confirmation hearing. (Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images)

Outspoken survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse say Justice Department officials have not taken meaningful steps to follow up on their meeting with Todd Blanche in the weeks since he became attorney general.

Blanche sat down with them at DOJ headquarters in July, when his Senate confirmation hung in the balance, in what was described as an “initial” effort to hear their concerns. The survivors say the lack of communication from officials since then has only reinforced their belief that a Blanche-led department has no intention of pursuing the issues they brought to him.

“There’s just not an interest,” Annie Farmer, one of the survivors, said in an interview. “They want to move on and turn the page.”