United States Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche's experience undercuts his excuse for not properly handling the release of the Epstein files, according to a former Watergate prosecutor Friday.
Nick Akerman, a former assistant special Watergate prosecutor and former assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, appeared on CNN the day after Christmas to discuss the release of Epstein files some have said was rushed and in violation of law.
Asked about the DOJ's latest excuse that they were surprised by the disclosure of one million files related to Epstein, Akerman called it "total nonsense."
"They had toknow that these files existedright from the get go. First ofall, we know that prior to mayof this year, Pam Bondi had lotsof FBI agents going through allof these files to determinewhether President Trump's namewas in these documents. So sheknew where the documents were," he said. "But on top of that, even moreglaring is the fact that all ofthese documents they had to knowwere in the Southern District of New York that prosecuted the Maxwell and Epstein criminalcases. Why is that? Because whenyou're a prosecutor, you areobliged. You are commanded toreturn over to the defense.Exculpatory evidence under a Supreme Court decision known as Brady. And in order to do that,you have to get every filethat's in the federalgovernment, whether it's in theFAA or some other agency. Theyhave to be under your control soyou can comply with your Bradyobligations. And certainly Todd Blanche, who is in charge ofthis whole matter, was a formerassistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York.He should have known that. Sothey had to know that these werethere. There's no excuse for it."