Opening Statement: Epstein survivor, Dani Bensky, says “Blanche has never responded to them”

Dani Bensky, a survivor of abuse by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, asked other survivors to rise while they held up photos of their younger selves at the time of their abuse.

“I'd like to remind you of who you're hearing from today,” Bensky said while testifying against acting Attorney General Todd Blanche before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the second day of confirmation hearings.

She implored senators to “think about the girls in these photos,” when casting their confirmation votes.

“We may look like grown adults when you see us now, but we were children, young girls at the time of our abuse,” Bensky said. “These are the photos of when our innocence, dreams and lives were stolen.”

Bensky, who is a teacher and a mother, criticized Blanche’s handling of the Justice Department’s release of files related to Epstein.

“Now look at our faces and remember the women and families of who the DOJ revictimized,” she said. “Todd Blanche has been at the helm of the release of nude images of survivors, the outing of Jane Does and the exposure of more than 100 victims identifying information and documents describing horrific acts of abuse, including my own.”

Bensky said the Justice Department failed to redact her name, phone number and former addresses in the files it released. She added that the redaction errors weren’t a one-time error.

“When my name appeared in the third file release, it became difficult to believe that this was not intentional,” she said. “Despite my lawyer repeatedly contacting the DOJ seeking protection, my information continued to be exposed.”

Blanche defended his handling of the Epstein files during his Wednesday confirmation hearing. He acknowledged redaction errors but said his staff worked to quickly correct them.

Bensky also blasted Blanche for not meeting with survivors.

“Todd Blanche has never attempted to listen to us,” she said. “The crime victims, survivors in this room repeatedly asked to meet with Todd Blanche through multiple channels. He never responded.”

Several senators called on Blanche to commit to meeting with survivors during his Wednesday hearing. Blanche said his department had spoken with more than 30 representatives of dozens of victims and asked survivors and their lawyers to meet with the FBI.

Bensky also took issue with Blanche’s statements on Wednesday that the DOJ didn’t have evidence that Epstein trafficked women to other men. Blanche said "that does not mean it didn't happen, and I want to be clear about that."

Blanche also asked for survivors who have information to come forward.

“The survivors in this room know there are investigative leads because they are our stories,” Bensky said. “Mr. Blanche knows it too. Yet he has chosen not to pursue them.”

Bensky said the DOJ has treated the Epstein investigation as a “political crisis that needs to be managed.”

She said survivors need an attorney general who is committed to holding everyone involved in facilitating Epstein’s crimes accountable.

“We are not activists,” Bensky said. “We are crime victims.”