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State of New Mexico sues Justice Department and Todd Blanche, saying they blocked its Epstein probe
The state of New Mexico sued the Department of Justice and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Wednesday, saying the federal government blocked the state's ability to investigate the sex crimes of financier Jeffrey Epstein at a ranch there.
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New Mexico sued the Department of Justice and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche Wednesday for “stonewalling” its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s Zorro Ranch.In a 40-page filing, New Mexico asked for access to unredacted documents from the Epstein files that it claimed the DOJ has been intentionally withholding.“New Mexico has a duty to protect survivors and investigate crimes committed in our state so that perpetrators can be held accountable,” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez in a statement. “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.”Torrez threatened legal action against the DOJ last month, setting July 31 as the deadline for federal officials to comply with the state investigation into extensive abuse allegations on the property.Zorro Ranch, located roughly 30 miles south of Santa Fe in the high desert, was rumored to be a hotbed of illicit activity under Epstein’s stewardship. Some of the notorious child sex offender’s victims, including Virginia Giuffre, claimed they were trafficked at the New Mexico estate, and emails issued by ranch staffers allege that the bodies of at least two girls were buried under the building by Epstein’s order, according to documents made public by the Justice Department via the Epstein files. At one point, Epstein even contemplated turning the estate, which he purchased in 1993, into a headquarters for genetic engineering experiments.Yet somehow, the property—dubbed “Playboy Ranch” among locals—was never properly investigated, according to New Mexico officials.The state had every intention to do so until the first Trump administration intervened in 2019, when the federal government ordered New Mexico to turn over its probe to federal prosecutors. But the feds chose to close the case rather than pursue it, according to records obtained by The New York Times earlier this year.In February, New Mexico lawmakers voted unanimously to pursue another investigation into Zorro Ranch, creating a bipartisan “truth commission” to examine the site’s history. At the time, Torrez also ordered his office to reopen the criminal investigation into Zorro Ranch, demanding “immediate access to the complete, unredacted federal case file.”Congress ordered the full release of all unclassified, Epstein-related data when it passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November, granting the DOJ 30 days after its signing date to comply with the law. But nine months later, the government still has yet to meet its legal obligations.Most fingers have pointed to Blanche for foiling the files’ release. Even other Trump officials—notably, former Attorney General Pam Bondi—said Blanche was responsible for the bungled rollout.Nonetheless, Blanche seems to be failing upwards, apparently unscathed by the glaring failure. On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Blanche’s confirmation for a full Senate vote, putting him within arms reach of the most powerful law enforcement position in the country.This story has been updated.
The lawsuit accuses Todd Blanche and the DOJ of perpetuating “that disgrace” of failing to investigate Epstein
New Mexico attorney general Raúl Torrez is suing Todd Blanche and the Justice Department for blocking the state from gaining access to the unredacted Epstein files. Torres joins Hallie Jackson to explain the significance of gaining access to the files.
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The state of New Mexico sued the Department of Justice and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Wednesday, saying the federal government blocked the state's ability to investigate the sex crimes of financier Jeffrey Epstein at a ranch there.
The Justice Department said it was not releasing some information the state requested because federal court orders ban disclosing “victim-identifying information carte blanche."
1 publisher
New Mexico on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, stymying the state’s investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., by New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez. Torrez alleges that Blanche and the Justice Department […]
