Feds Move To Block AG Todd Blanche From Testifying In Florida Epstein Victims Lawsuit
Feds Move To Block AG Todd Blanche From Testifying In Florida Epstein Victims Lawsuit
Wendy Vasquez Wed, October 28, 2026 at 2:03 PM UTC
25
Attorney General, Todd Blanche, holds a press briefing in the Rose Garden of the White House, Tuesday, September 15, 2026. (Official White House Photo by Cashen Turner)
The Trump administration is urging a federal court in Florida to toss out a subpoena demanding testimony from U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche regarding past federal investigations into Jeffrey Epstein.
In a nine-page motion filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Justice Department lawyers argued that deposing the nation’s top law enforcement official is legally improper and could disrupt federal operations. The filing warns that subpoenaing Blanche could “threaten the separation of powers, chill agency decision-making, discourage public service, and create potential for abuse or harassment.”
The subpoena was issued by plaintiffs identifying as victims of Epstein, the deceased financier who died in federal custody while facing sex trafficking charges. The victims are seeking Blanche’s testimony as part of their ongoing civil litigation against the government.
Epstein and Maxwell (DOJ File Release)
Department of Justice attorneys asked the court to enter a protective order barring Blanche’s deposition, contending the plaintiffs have bypassed standard discovery steps and failed to show why the information cannot be gathered through other methods.
“In sum, a Cabinet official’s deposition is permissible, if at all, only after all alternatives are exhausted,” government attorneys wrote. “And Plaintiffs have made no showing that they have exhausted these alternatives.”
The motion relies on the apex deposition doctrine, a long-standing legal principle that shields high-ranking government officials from routine depositions unless a party demonstrates that the official holds unique, firsthand knowledge unobtainable from any other source.
Government lawyers argued that the plaintiffs could pursue written questions, tailored document productions, or depositions of lower-level personnel and designated agency representatives before seeking to compel testimony directly from Blanche.
Advertisement
Attorney General, Todd Blanche, holds a press briefing in the Rose Garden of the White House, Tuesday, September 15, 2026. (Official White House Photo by Cashen Turner)
“Permitting this deposition of the sitting Attorney General in this case would be an extraordinary order without precedent in modern history,” the motion states. “This subpoena should be quashed.”
The motion was submitted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelsi R. Romero and Steven R. Petri on behalf of U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones.
According to a certificate of conferral included with the filing, government attorneys met with plaintiffs’ counsel on Oct. 20 and Oct. 26 to resolve the issue out of court. The plaintiffs refused to withdraw the subpoena and stated they oppose the government’s request, leaving the dispute for the presiding federal judge to resolve.
READ: Back Behind Bars: Florida Man Arrested Just 11 Days After Prison Release
Jeffrey Epstein (left) and Leslie Wexner (right) (DOJ)
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
Feds Move To Block AG Todd Blanche From Testifying In Florida Epstein Victims Lawsuit
Source: “AOL Breaking”
