'I Didn't Ask You This': Van Hollen Loses Cool At Acting AG Blanche At Explosive Senate Hearing — US

[0:00] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Attorney General, this is an outrageous, unprecedented slush fund [0:07] that you set up. Simple question. Will individuals who assaulted Capitol Hill police officers be [0:13] eligible for this fund? Well, as it makes plain, anybody is... Just let me know if they're eligible [0:20] for the fund. As was made plain yesterday, anybody in this country is eligible to apply [0:26] if they believe they're a victim of a position. Mr. Attorney General, let me ask you this. [0:30] Are there going to be rules that say that if you've assaulted a Capitol Hill police officer [0:35] or committed a violent crime, you will not be eligible? Why not make that a rule? [0:40] I expect that... Well, because I'm not one of the commissioners setting up the rules, I expect [0:44] that there will be rules that I'm... You're appointing four of the five members, aren't [0:46] you, Mr. Attorney General? Pardon me? You're appointing four of the five members. [0:50] I am appointing all four members. You can finally set up the rules. I would hope you make a rule [0:53] that anyone convicted of assaulting a police officer of violent crime is simply not eligible. [0:58] They should not apply. Well, let me ask you this, because you compared it to the Keeps Eagle case. [1:04] But I think you know full well that in that case, the settlement agreement was approved by a federal [1:09] judge, including the payments to people who were not originally parties to the lawsuit. No federal [1:16] judge has approved this fund, have they, Mr. Attorney General? No, no federal judge did approve this. [1:20] So that's a big difference between this case and the case that you compared it to. [1:24] No, it's not. Well, did a judge sign off on this case? No. A judge did sign off on the other one. Yes, [1:30] but your question was whether it's a big difference. It's not. Of course it is, [1:33] because that allows for an independent person to look at it rather than the... There was no independence. [1:39] There was no independence. There was a single commissioner. A judge signed off on it. A judge had [1:44] nothing to do with deciding the money. Mr. Attorney General, there was a judge who looked at it and signed off on it. So to [1:48] compare that case to this one is incredibly deceptive. Let me ask you this about the Epstein case, [1:56] because as we speak, many Epstein survivors are in New York. They're reading portions of the Epstein [2:04] files about the abuse that they suffered. Otherwise, they might have been here with us today. At a House [2:10] hearing, your predecessor refused to acknowledge the pain experienced by some of those victims when the [2:17] administration improperly released their names in identifying information. So I want to know [2:23] where you stand. I spoke to the representatives of some of the Epstein survivors yesterday. They are [2:29] extremely frustrated that you keep calling for people to come forward with more evidence, but you [2:35] have not met with them to hear their stories. So simple question. If I connect you with these survivors, [2:43] will you meet with them? Absolutely. And what you just said is false. I have met with them. I've met with [2:49] many of the lawyers for the survivors of victims, as did Attorney General Bondi. So whoever told you [2:54] that unfortunately gave you bad information. I would encourage them to reach out to the Department [3:00] of Justice because like we do every single day, we absolutely care for victims and we absolutely want [3:06] to hear from them and their lawyers. Well, I've been told directly from the representatives they've not [3:13] had a chance at least this group to meet with you. So I'm glad to hear they represent they asked for a [3:19] meeting. Can I can I can I ask you to commit that the Justice Department will not recommend a pardon for [3:29] anyone named in the Epstein files? Can you repeat that question? I'm sorry. I didn't hear what you said. [3:34] Can you commit that the Justice Department, you, the acting Attorney General, would not recommend a pardon [3:41] for people named in the Epstein files? When you say people named, I have no, there's tens of thousands, [3:48] hundreds of thousands of quote people named. How about Jelaine Maxwell? Can you commit that you- [3:52] Yes, I can commit to that, of course. Let me go back to this slush fund because there's also an [4:01] individual who after being pardoned by the President went on to molest two children and that person [4:11] actually tried to buy the silence of these children by saying that he would pay them some of the funds [4:17] that he was hoping to get from your slush fund. Can you commit to making the rules so that that person [4:25] is not eligible for a payout under this fund? Well, you're obviously lying in your question [4:30] because there's no way that this person committed to that. But the slush fund, as you call it, [4:35] which is not, didn't exist. But I can commit- Mr. Attorney General, don't ever do that again. [4:42] I am reporting what he said. He said on the expectation that he hoped to get some of the funds from [4:49] a payout. You said from the slush fund, Senator, and that didn't exist when he said that. [4:54] This is the fund that the President and all of you have been telegraphing [4:58] all along that you're going to use to help the President's friends. [5:02] Mr. Attorney General, I have a last question. I have a last question for you. [5:08] Do you know that it is a criminal offense to lie to Congress? [5:14] I am very well aware of that. Glad to hear that. Thank you. [5:18] Flooded with noise, global delivers clarity. 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