Early takeaways from Blanche Senate testimony on Epstein, "anti-weaponization fund"

[0:00] Let's go to Capitol Hill now. [0:01] For the first time since being named as lead of the Justice Department, [0:05] Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee. [0:09] So he faced a lot of questions, a number of issues, [0:12] including the just-created $1.7 billion DOJ Anti-Weaponization Fund. [0:17] Watch. [0:18] So let's be clear. [0:20] What we're talking about is nothing short of the sitting President of the United States [0:24] looting from the Treasury for his own gain. [0:27] Do you seriously think this arrangement is appropriate? [0:31] The President telling the federal government to settle a case [0:35] and let him pay billions to the people that he chooses? [0:39] What you just described wouldn't be appropriate, [0:41] and that's absolutely not what happened, and that's not what's happening now. [0:44] So you just set up a series of facts, most of which were not true. [0:47] No, they were- [0:47] To say, is it- [0:48] No, it's not. [0:49] I mean, I- [0:50] The President has set up a slush fund, however you want to say that it got set up, [0:54] and he literally will get to choose through his hand-picked appointees who gets paid that fund. [1:00] That is absurd. [1:02] The President did not set up this fund. [1:05] It's not a slush fund. [1:06] It's-it's been done many times. [1:08] Okay, so let's go live to Capitol Hill, [1:13] and CBS News congressional correspondent Nicole Killian following all of this. [1:16] A lot of the focus today is on that so-called anti-weaponization fund. [1:20] How does he defend that? [1:23] Because so many critics say, look, he's using taxpayer money, [1:27] and a lot of people are going to get a paycheck if this goes through. [1:32] Yeah, and that's why this was really a point of contention during this hearing, [1:36] as we heard from senators on both sides of the aisle, [1:39] really press the acting attorney general on exactly how this is going to work, [1:43] and who is going to reap the benefits of it. [1:46] For instance, would the president or the president's family be able to apply for funds, [1:51] or what about some of these people who have been pardoned for January 6th? [1:56] If they assaulted a police officer, should they qualify for these funds? [2:00] So there were a range of questions about the efficacy of this, [2:04] the precedent for this, and the logistics. [2:07] Now, the acting attorney general said that ultimately, [2:11] there would be a commission that would be set up. [2:15] Four of those commissioners would be appointed by the attorney general. [2:19] The other in consultation, I believe, with Congress. [2:23] But then even Blanche was pressed about that, [2:25] as to whether or not the president would have any influence [2:28] over who the attorney general may ultimately select for this panel. [2:32] Blanche also explained that anyone potentially could qualify for these funds, [2:38] and maybe not necessarily for funds. [2:40] It could just be an apology, [2:41] or it could be some type of monetary payment or settlement. [2:45] But he said this is not specific to Republicans or Democrats. [2:49] He even at one point suggested that Hunter Biden could potentially apply for funds, [2:54] the son of the former president. [2:56] So, look, there were a lot of what I would say were squishy answers [3:01] on the part of the attorney general or acting attorney general [3:06] in terms of the logistics here, [3:08] which is why many lawmakers were kind of hammering him over this. [3:12] That being said, there were some Republicans on the panel [3:15] as they went into this hearing today who expressed support for this fund. [3:20] But we did hear a short time ago from Majority Leader John Thune, [3:23] who said this is something that's going to have to be properly vetted. [3:28] You know, earlier we heard from Aaron Navarro in this broadcast. [3:30] He's in Kentucky. [3:31] He's following voters who are voicing their choice. [3:34] And I just have to ask because one of the voters brought up the Epstein case [3:38] as what influenced his vote relative to Representative Massey. [3:42] So, you understand that the Epstein matter also came up in questioning [3:47] for the acting attorney general. [3:48] What did he have to say? [3:51] Yeah, that's right. [3:51] And keep in mind, the acting attorney general has been up here on Capitol Hill [3:55] before with respect to the Epstein files, [3:58] more so in his former capacity as deputy attorney general [4:01] when then Attorney General Pam Bondi came up to the Hill, for instance, [4:05] to brief the House Oversight Committee on where things stand [4:08] in terms of the files and their release. [4:11] But that, too, did come up during this hearing [4:14] as a number of lawmakers also oppressed the acting attorney general again, [4:19] kind of getting back to that fund, for instance, [4:21] whether or not people like, let's say, co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell [4:25] would be exempted from potentially receiving these types of funds [4:30] and also whether or not Ghislaine Maxwell or others [4:35] who may be implicated in the Epstein files could eventually be prosecuted. [4:39] Take a listen to one exchange between Senator Merkley of Oregon [4:43] and the acting attorney general. [4:46] I want to go on to the Epstein investigation. [4:48] Is it closed or open? [4:50] When you say the Epstein investigation, what are you referring to, Senator? [4:53] Well, the FBI said in last year in July [4:57] that it had closed the Epstein investigation. [4:58] So I'm just using their words, is it open or closed? [5:01] I don't believe the FBI said that. [5:06] Well, you're head of the Department of Justice. [5:08] Is the Epstein investigation open or closed? [5:10] But I guess I don't understand what Epstein investigation means. [5:13] The investigation, Jeffrey Epstein himself, yes, he's dead. [5:16] Any investigation into potential other bad guys [5:20] will always be open if we have evidence that supports [5:23] in any way, shape, or form that we can make a case. [5:26] So, again, yet another hot topic during this hearing. [5:32] Now, keep in mind, this hearing was supposed to be about the budget [5:36] for the Department of Justice. [5:39] And so at the outset, the acting attorney general [5:42] kind of laid out some of the accomplishments [5:44] of the various agencies within DOJ. [5:47] But we can expect Todd Blanche to be back here on the Hill [5:50] because while this was a Senate hearing, [5:52] he also has to testify before the House as well. [5:55] So stay tuned for part two, if you will, Reid. [5:59] Part two. [6:00] And, Nicole Killian, you have your running shoes on again today [6:02] chasing all of the answers. [6:03] Always great to talk to you. [6:04] Thank you so much. [6:05] You have a good day.