{"text":[[{"start":9.35,"text":"Todd Blanche met victims of Jeffrey Epstein after a top Republican senator threatened to block his confirmation as US attorney-general. "}],[{"start":17.549999999999997,"text":"The Department of Justice said Blanche sat down with Epstein’s victims on Thursday afternoon, after Thom Tillis, a member of the Senate judiciary committee, said his support for Blanche hinged on the meeting."}],[{"start":29.949999999999996,"text":"The justice department said: “Acting attorney-general Blanche, senior DoJ officials, FBI special agents and victim services representatives met with Epstein victims today and had a productive, initial discussion.”"}],[{"start":43.3,"text":"Tillis’s ultimatum reignited concern over the Trump administration’s links to Epstein, the financier who died by suicide while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges in 2019."}],[{"start":55,"text":"“I’m trying to get to yes” on Blanche’s nomination, Tillis said earlier Thursday. “But this is a very important part of getting to yes.”"}],[{"start":63.65,"text":"Trump’s Maga base has been infuriated by his administration’s handling of the Epstein files, which the president promised to publish in full during his election campaign, and is sceptical of the White House’s claims that it found no evidence to file new charges."}],[{"start":79.5,"text":"Blanche’s failure to meet the victims earlier — despite meeting the disgraced financier’s longtime accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell — was a flashpoint at his hearing."}],[{"start":88.65,"text":"Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison term for her role in picking and grooming underage girls for Epstein to abuse. Blanche interviewed her in Florida last year and soon after she was relocated to a minimum-security prison in Texas."}],[{"start":102,"text":"“That is unheard of for offenders like her,” said Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the committee. "}],[{"start":107.95,"text":"Dani Bensky, one of the victims and an advocate, on Thursday told the committee she and other victims had “repeatedly” asked to meet Blanche over the past eight months."}],[{"start":118.9,"text":"“He has been radio silent and the silence was deafening,” she said."}],[{"start":123.65,"text":"A “yes” vote from Tillis is crucial because of the Republicans’ razor-thin majority on the committee. The recent unexpected death of senator Lindsey Graham left Republicans with only one vote to lose."}],[{"start":136.9,"text":"Blanche on Wednesday said he would “get it done today, if that’s necessary”. "}],[{"start":142.35,"text":"Tillis said that if Blanche “said that he would do it today, then he can certainly do it over the next two weeks”, which would be the earliest a vote on the nomination for the attorney-general could take place."}],[{"start":162.5,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1784257102_5484.mp3"}