New Mexico sues Justice Department over Epstein probe obstruction

New Mexico has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice, accusing the federal agency of "stonewalling" the state's investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Attorney General Raul Torrez alleges the Department of Justice is unlawfully withholding unredacted materials that are critical to New Mexico's probe into Epstein's activities at his Zorro Ranch property in the state.

"We 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," Torrez stated in a press release. "Their delay is actively hurting our criminal investigation and delaying justice Epstein survivors deserve."

The lawsuit intensifies a months-long dispute between Torrez, a Democrat, and the Trump administration. Torrez previously expressed frustration over the federal government's failure to provide requested documents, despite verbal assurances of cooperation. The Department of Justice, however, maintains that federal privacy laws prevent them from sharing unredacted documents from the Epstein file with state officials.

Questions surrounding Epstein's activities at Zorro Ranch have persisted for years. He owned the property from 1993 until his death in 2019. During that period, the financier was accused of operating a sex-trafficking ring. Survivors have indicated that crimes occurred at the ranch, and an anonymous tip to the FBI mentioned sexual abuse and the alleged burial of two foreign girls on the property, though this tip remains uncorroborated. New Mexico's investigation into the ranch, initially opened in February 2019, was asked to stand down by the Department of Justice in July 2019, with a request to transfer any gathered information to federal authorities.

“

We 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.