New Mexico Sues DOJ Over Blocked Epstein Probe
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez sued the Justice Department Wednesday, demanding complete and unredacted access to federal Epstein investigation files. The lawsuit centers on the state's criminal probe of Zorro Ranch, Epstein's Santa Fe County property.
- At least 10 state requests to the DOJ for the records have gone unanswered.
- Zorro Ranch appears at least 13,000 times in the Epstein files.
- $27.5 million: the ranch's estimated value when listed for sale in July 2021.
- Federal records cited in the suit describe over 1,000 survivors of Epstein's network.
Why it matters: The state's investigation seeks to identify additional victims, corroborate evidence, and establish the full scope of alleged crimes at the ranch. A prior New Mexico criminal investigation into Epstein closed in 2020 without charges.
- Survivors including Annie Farmer have described abuse at Zorro Ranch under Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
How 16 sources split on this story
Associated Press3hState of New Mexico sues Justice Department and Todd Blanche, saying they blocked its Epstein probe
Bloomberg4hNew Mexico Officials Accuse DOJ of ‘Stonewalling’ Epstein ProbeCNCTV News3hNew Mexico sues Justice Department and Todd Blanche, saying they blocked its Epstein probe
Forbes2hNew Mexico Sues Blanche Over ‘Withholding’ Epstein Files
PBS NewsHour1hState of New Mexico sues Justice Department and Todd Blanche, saying they blocked its Epstein probe
Reuters3hNuevo México demanda al Gobierno de EEUU para obtener acceso a los expedientes de Epstein
The Hill2hNew Mexico suing DOJ, Blanche for access to unredacted Epstein records in Zorro Ranch investigation
USA Today3hNew Mexico sues Justice Dept. over Epstein files on Zorro RanchLeft coverage, 5 sources: The left frames the DOJ's non-response as the Trump administration actively protecting Epstein's network and harming survivors by blocking a legitimate state investigation.
The Independent3hNew Mexico AG sues DOJ for unredacted Epstein files
Al Jazeera34mNew Mexico sues US Justice Department for impeding Epstein probe
CNN2hInvestigations into Epstein’s mysterious New Mexico ranch add pressure on the Justice Department
Raw Story3h'Stonewalled': Furious AG sues Trump admin for obstructing Epstein compound probeTNRThe New Republic21hNew Mexico Sues DOJ Over Epstein Ranch Investigation Files
Daily Mail54mTrump administration SUED after 'stonewalling' on releasing Epstein files tied to Zorro Ranch
The Sun3hEpstein’s ‘last refuge’ Zorro Ranch at center of new lawsuit after bombshell claim victim bodies were buried on site
Washington Examiner20mNew Mexico sues DOJ and Todd Blanche for allegedly blocking state Epstein investigationWhat’s next: A New Mexico legislative subcommittee with subpoena power began operating with a $2 million budget to gather testimony and records through the end of 2026.
- The subcommittee budget comes from a 2023 settlement over failures to detect abuse at the property.
- Will a federal court compel the DOJ to produce the unredacted records, and on what timeline?
- Did the 2020 New Mexico investigation close prematurely, and do the federal files contain evidence that would have changed that outcome?