Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appeared to be panicking during a Senate Appropriations hearing Tuesday as he tried to justify President Trump’s “Anti-Weaponization Fund” and his own visit with convicted child sex offender and Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell. “You’re gonna assure us that President Trump will get no proceeds from this [fund] … his family will not get [any proceeds]?” Democratic Senator Jack Reed asked in an intense line of questioning on the recently announced $1.8 billion fund.“Correct,” replied Blanche. “And who will direct the distribution of these, who gets the money?” “From the victims’ fund? Well, there’ll be a commission of five individuals that’ll be set up, and they’ll take in requests and claims and decide whether to do anything—”“Who will name the commissioners?” Reed interrupted. “I will … whoever the attorney general is … and one of them will be done in consultation with leadership of this body,” said Blanche, ignoring reports that Trump himself will have ultimate say on who remains on the committee.After pointing to the resignation of the top lawyer at the Department of Treasury following the announcement of the fund, Reed again tried to point out the lines being crossed with the fund.“This all seems to be an obvious abuse of power by the Department of Justice, by the president,” the Rhode Island senator said. “He negotiated essentially with himself. You’re his appointee. The IRS are his appointees. He’s the plaintiff. And the American people I don’t think are surprised that certainly all this money is going to his friends, or people … in his orbit. Will you ensure that none of this money goes to anyone convicted in the January 6 attack on the Congress?”“Well, the commissioners will determine who is eligible to receive the money,” Blanche replied. “Who are the commissioners?”“They’re not named yet.”“Who will name them?” “The attorney general will. It’s not me.” “With the suggestion of the president of the United States, your boss?”“I have no idea if he will or not. I really don’t.” “I would be shocked if he didn’t tell you exactly who to put on, and I’d be more shocked if you did not put them on. This is a travesty of the law.” Reed then pivoted hard to Blanche’s interview with Maxwell and her special treatment in prison. Reed: You talked to Ghislaine Maxwell. A few days later, she was transferred from a high security prison to a very comfortable—Blanche: That’s not true. She was not in a high security prison. She was transferred from a low security prison to a low security prison. Reed: I… pic.twitter.com/5duU4ctAqZ— Acyn (@Acyn) May 19, 2026“You had an opportunity to go down and talk to Ghislaine Maxwell. And then a few days later she was transferred from a high-security prison to a very comfortable, very comfortable—” “That’s not true. It’s just not true,” Blanche responded. “She was transferred from a low-security prison to a low-security prison. You’re looking at me.… That’s verifiable.” “Well I don’t think at the other prison she had her own room, she had access to a private shower, she could have pet therapy—” “I don’t know if any of that is true, I’m not disagreeing with you—”“It is true, and you should know it,” said Reed.“I should know that? Whether an inmate has access to her own shower?” “No, no. This is a person of extra special interest to the president of the United States. He’s known her. Why did he send you down to talk to her?” “He didn’t send me. I went. You think President Trump called and asked me to go interview a witness in federal prison? I didn’t!” “Yes, I do, frankly,” said Reed, talking over Blanche. “Because you know what? The deal was in. He needed someone he could rely upon to talk to her and say, ‘What would she say if she was asked about Jeffery Epstein?’ And you were the perfect choice. And you went down there and suddenly, shazam! She’s out of what is a more confining situation into a much more relaxed federal prison.” “Every word that I asked her is recorded and available for you to review,” Blanche said, ignoring the question about Maxwell’s new digs, which included special access to staff-only areas and a service puppy, according to The New York Times. “This hearing I think is exposing something, which is to me very frightening,” Reed replied. “From my perspective, you have very little faith to the Constitution and the people of America, and you’re the president’s consigliere.” “Your perspective is completely wrong, senator,” said Blanche.“Well, I think the facts will prove me right. Thank you.”