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New Mexico has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, seeking access to unredacted files related to Jeffrey Epstein's activities at his Zorro Ranch in Santa Fe County. The state is conducting a criminal investigation into alleged crimes at the ranch, which Epstein owned from 1993 until his death in 2019. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez initiated the lawsuit after the DOJ missed a July 31 deadline to provide the requested documents.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, accuses the DOJ of "stonewalling" the investigation by withholding crucial information. According to Source NM, Torrez emphasized the importance of these files for identifying victims, witnesses, and additional criminal conduct at Zorro Ranch. He stated, "Their delay is actively hurting our criminal investigation and delaying justice Epstein survivors deserve."
The DOJ, however, maintains that the Epstein Files Transparency Act does not mandate the release of victim-identifying information and that protecting victim privacy remains a priority. A DOJ spokesperson told Source NM that the department remains available to assist New Mexico's investigation within legal and court order constraints.
The lawsuit also seeks a court order to compel the DOJ to comply with the Epstein transparency law and Touhy regulations, which govern federal document requests during litigation. The Guardian reported that Torrez's complaint alleges the DOJ's actions have "actively harmed victims and undermined the public interest."
Epstein's former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking, with some testimony alleging abuse at the New Mexico ranch. The property was sold in 2023 to the family of Don Huffines, who plans to operate a Christian retreat there.