New Mexico has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice in an effort to gain access to Jeffrey Epstein records, accusing Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche of “stonewalling” the state’s investigation into Epstein’s Zorro Ranch.
“USDOJ and Acting Attorney General Blanche are refusing to facilitate the investigation of state law crimes by hiding information about Epstein and his co-conspirators from Attorney General Torrez and state law enforcement, when New Mexico is one of few jurisdictions that still may have an opportunity to hold Epstein’s associates accountable or otherwise provide some sense of justice to survivors,” the filing states.
The lawsuit notes that the Epstein Files refer to Zorro Ranch more than 13,000 times, and suggests that New Mexico was a site for trafficking and grooming operations 5,000 times.
Torrez, a Democrat, said in a statement that his office has “asked the Department of Justice to cooperate by providing access to records that may be critical to identifying victims, witnesses, and additional criminal conduct at Zorro Ranch. Their delay is actively hurting our criminal investigation and delaying justice Epstein survivors deserve.”
A Justice Department spokesperson told The Hill that the Epstein Files Transparency Act “does not require, and the protective orders in place in the Southern District of New York do not permit, disclosure of victim-identifying information carte blanche, and New Mexico has provided no lawful basis to justify such sweeping disclosures.” The spokesperson added, “Protecting victim privacy remains a top priority for the Department, and neither Touhy requests nor a desire to cooperate outweighs that privacy.” They said the Department will act in a manner that is “consistent with the law and binding court orders.”
New Mexico confirmed searches of Epstein’s ranch in March after announcing its investigation in February. Files involving Epstein reveal his links to former New Mexico officials, including two former Democratic governors and an attorney general.
