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New Mexico Sues Justice Department Over Epstein Ranch Probe Obstruction
🇹🇷 Turkey /Crime & Justice

New Mexico Sues Justice Department Over Epstein Ranch Probe Obstruction

From Daily Sabah · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • New Mexico is suing the U.S. Justice Department, alleging it is obstructing a state investigation into sex crimes at Jeffrey Epstein's ranch.
  • The lawsuit claims the department and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche are withholding crucial information, harming victims and undermining public interest.
  • The Justice Department stated it cannot release victim-identifying information without a lawful basis, citing court orders that protect privacy.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice, accusing federal officials of actively blocking a state investigation into alleged sex crimes at Jeffrey Epstein's ranch near Santa Fe. The suit, lodged in federal court in Washington, D.C., contends that the department and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche have stonewalled Torrez's criminal probe into Epstein and his associates.

The department and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stonewalled New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez’s criminal investigation into Epstein and others, taking steps that 'actively harms victims and undermines the public interest.'

— New Mexico Attorney General's lawsuitAlleging obstruction by the Justice Department.

According to the lawsuit, federal authorities have taken steps that "actively harm victims and undermine the public interest." Torrez seeks judicial intervention to compel the federal government to provide New Mexico investigators with necessary materials. This action follows a report from the New Mexico House of Representatives, which stated that responsible parties relied on federal prosecutors to fulfill their duties.

The New Mexico AG's office claims it has faced persistent resistance in obtaining information, despite such sharing being common practice between state and federal investigators. Torrez stated his office made 10 separate requests for key information and was either ignored or denied. "We have heard repeatedly they will cooperate and what our team has experienced is anything but cooperation," Torrez said, adding that Blanche could grant access with a simple decision but has instead chosen to obstruct.

We have heard repeatedly they will cooperate and what our team has experienced is anything but cooperation.

— Raúl TorrezDescribing the lack of cooperation from the Justice Department.

The Justice Department responded by asserting that it cannot release certain requested information due to federal court orders prohibiting the disclosure of "victim-identifying information carte blanche." The department emphasized that protecting victim privacy is a priority and stated it remains available to assist New Mexico's investigation in compliance with the law and court orders. The lawsuit argues that withholding information hinders New Mexico's ability to hold Epstein's associates accountable and provide justice to survivors.

Todd Blanche today with a stroke of a pen could grant us the access that he claimed. Instead they have decided to stonewall, to obstruct and to frankly conceal for whatever reason.

— Raúl TorrezCriticizing the Justice Department's refusal to share information.

Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in a New York federal jail in August 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges. His former associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, is serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted in 2021 on similar charges. Witness testimony during Maxwell's trial suggested that Epstein and Maxwell had sexually abused women at the New Mexico ranch.

federal court orders ban disclosing 'victim-identifying information carte blanche, and New Mexico has provided no lawful basis to justify such sweeping disclosures.'

— U.S. Department of JusticeExplaining the reason for withholding certain information.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Daily Sabah in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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