WATCH: Blanche defends handling of Epstein files amid confirmation hearing

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche faced scrutiny over his handling of Jeffrey Epstein-related files during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Blanche defended the Justice Department's extensive review of millions of documents, calling it a "Herculean task" undertaken after President Donald Trump signed the Epstein Transparency Act.

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undertook a Herculean task to review millions and millions of potentially responsive files

Blanche acknowledged that his department made redaction errors, including revealing personal information and images of survivors, but stressed that dozens of lawyers worked to correct these mistakes. "That doesn't excuse the mistakes, of which I take responsibility," Blanche stated, adding, "But it does mean that we tried to fix them." He asserted that the Trump administration has been more transparent regarding Epstein than any previous one.

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That doesn't excuse the mistakes, of which I take responsibility. But it does mean that we tried to fix them.

Responding to criticism about not speaking with Epstein's survivors, Blanche reported that the department had engaged with over 30 representatives of victims and invited survivors and their lawyers to meet with the FBI. He also affirmed the Justice Department's commitment to indicting and prosecuting individuals if further information comes to light. This stance marks a shift from a previous memo that suggested investigators had not found evidence to pursue charges against unindicted individuals, a memo released while Blanche served as deputy attorney general.

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has been more transparent than any past administration.