New Mexico sues US Department of Justice over Epstein investigation access
Attorney General Raúl Torrez seeks unredacted files regarding alleged crimes at the Zorro ranch.
Talivio News · Global2 min read
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New Mexico has filed a lawsuit in the US district court for the district of Columbia against the US Department of Justice and acting attorney general Todd Blanche. The state alleges the department is 'stonewalling' its criminal investigation into the activities of Jeffrey Epstein at a ranch located in New Mexico.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez is seeking 'complete and unredacted access' to files from investigations into Epstein. The investigation focuses on alleged crimes at the Zorro ranch, a 10,000-acre property situated approximately 30 miles south of Santa Fe.
The criminal investigation into Epstein's activities in New Mexico was initially opened in February 2019 by former New Mexico attorney general Hector Balderas. Jeffrey Epstein died in a New York jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on child sex-trafficking charges; his death was ruled a suicide.
Dispute over document access
Torrez stated that the US Department of Justice has ignored at least 10 requests from his office for access to the documents. He also noted that the department appeared to ignore a July 31 deadline to share information regarding alleged historical abuse at the Zorro ranch.
While the US attorney's office for the district of New Mexico stated it had 'substantively responded' to Torrez's request on June 30 by emailing 31 documents, Torrez characterized the materials as mostly old news clippings and heavily redacted pages of little use to state investigators.
Their delay is actively hurting our criminal investigation and delaying justice Epstein survivors deserve.
— Raúl Torrez
Federal prosecutors from the US southern district of New York told Torrez they 'will not cooperate' in the New Mexico investigation.
The Zorro ranch and allegations
The Zorro ranch was purchased by Epstein in 1993 from the estate of former New Mexico governor Bruce King. According to Torrez, the property is referenced at least 13,000 times in the Epstein files.
13,000 times
References to the Zorro ranch property in the Epstein files, according to Raúl Torrez.
The lawsuit states that Epstein and his criminal network subjected over 1,000 survivors to predatory conduct.
Updates
The 40-page lawsuit seeks a judicial declaration that Todd Blanche and the DOJ acted illegally by refusing to provide evidence, specifically requesting compliance with the Epstein transparency law and Touhy regulations. Additionally, the complaint seeks legal costs and further relief, following an ultimatum from Raúl Torrez issued in a July 14 letter to Blanche regarding the passing of a July 31 deadline. The legal action follows Torrez's documented, good-faith efforts to obtain unredacted investigative records currently in the DOJ's custody.
The 40-page lawsuit claims Todd Blanche and the DOJ acted illegally by withholding evidence and demands compliance with the Epstein transparency law and Touhy regulations. Attorney General Raúl Torrez's legal action also seeks court-ordered costs and relief, following his July 14 warning that he would pursue all available remedies if evidence was not provided by the July 31 deadline. Additionally, the filing specifies that the New Mexico investigatory subcommittee's $2 million budget was sourced from a 2023 settlement regarding failures to identify abuses at the Zorro ranch.
The 40-page lawsuit specifically names acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and seeks a declaration that he and the DOJ acted illegally by refusing to provide evidence. The complaint demands compliance with the Epstein transparency law and Touhy regulations, while also requesting court costs and other judicial relief. Additionally, the filing follows a July 14 letter from Raúl Torrez warning that all legal remedies would be pursued if the July 31 deadline passed.
The 40-page lawsuit specifically names acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and alleges that he and the DOJ acted illegally by refusing to hand over evidence regarding the Zorro ranch. The complaint seeks a court order for the DOJ to comply with the Epstein transparency law and Touhy regulations, while also requesting legal costs. Additionally, it reveals that the Zorro ranch property, which was valued at $21.1 million for the 2023 fiscal year, was acquired by San Rafael Ranch LLC, an entity linked to businessman Don Huffines.
The 40-page lawsuit accuses acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and the DOJ of 'obstruction' for allegedly withholding critical evidence needed to investigate state law crimes. While New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez claims federal officials are falsely stating they are cooperating, the DOJ has pushed back, arguing that the Epstein Files Transparency Act does not mandate such disclosures and that protecting victim privacy remains a top priority. Additionally, released emails confirm that the state's initial investigation into Epstein's activities in New Mexico was previously halted at the request of federal prosecutors.
The 40-page lawsuit accuses acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and the DOJ of obstruction, alleging they are unlawfully withholding critical evidence regarding Zorro ranch and failing to comply with the Epstein transparency law and Touhy regulations. While New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez claims the Department is providing false assurances of cooperation, a DOJ spokesperson countered that the transparency act does not require the disclosure of victim-identifying information, stating that protecting victim privacy remains a top priority. Additionally, newly released emails confirm that the state's initial investigation into Epstein's activities in New Mexico was originally halted at│
The 40-page lawsuit accuses acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and the DOJ of illegal obstruction for allegedly refusing to comply with the Epstein transparency law and Touhy regulations. While the DOJ maintains that protecting victim privacy outweighs the requests, Raúl Torrez claims the department is withholding critical information essential to justice despite previous assertions of cooperation. Additionally, it has been confirmed through released emails that the state's initial investigation into Epstein's New Mexico activities was previously halted at the request of federal prosecutors.
The 40-page lawsuit accuses acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and the DOJ of obstruction, alleging they are illegally withholding critical evidence and failing to comply with the Epstein transparency law and Touhy regulations. While the DOJ has refuted the claims of non-cooperation, stating that protecting victim privacy outweighs disclosure requests, Raúl Torrez argues the materials are essential for delivering justice. The legal action also references the Administrative Procedure Act to claim the withholding of files is arbitrary and unlawful.
