A bipartisan New Mexico legislative committee investigating convicted sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein said Wednesday it has confirmed reports of five women and minors who Mr. Epstein abused at Zorro Ranch, a property he owned in the state.
The Survivors’ Truth Commission, which began its work in February, said in an interim report that it has identified 30 other potential victims. But a challenge to confirming those reports, it says, is U.S. Justice Department redactions in public records, such as those released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
The New Mexico Department of Justice, which is conducting a separate investigation into Mr. Epstein’s activities in the state, is also seeking records from the federal Justice Department. On Wednesday, it sued the DOJ, claiming that the agency and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche are withholding information. State Attorney General Raúl Torrez said 10 separate requests for information were either denied or ignored.
Why We Wrote This
A bipartisan truth commission in New Mexico aims to tell the story of what happened at Zorro Ranch, formerly owned by disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. One goal is to recommend changes in state law intended to prevent future criminal activity.
“Todd Blanche today, with a stroke of a pen, could grant us the access that he claimed,” Mr. Torrez told reporters in a video conference. “Instead, they have decided to stonewall, to obstruct and to frankly conceal for whatever reason.”
The focus on Mr. Blanche comes as his nomination to be attorney general is expected to be decided by a close vote in the full U.S. Senate in the coming days. Mr. Blanche has faced criticism from both Democratic and Republican elected officials for his handling of the Epstein files.
New Mexico is one of just a few jurisdictions that could hold co-conspirators accountable for Epstein-linked crimes.
In June, the Truth Commission said it issued more than 20 subpoenas. Seven entities declined to respond, including the Federal Aviation Administration, JPMorgan Chase, and the U.S. attorneys for the Southern District of New York and the Southern District of Florida.
The report is “the first time any government has documented what is known about Epstein and what he did in our state, and it is the first official account that exists outside of a courtroom,” says Democratic state Rep. Andrea Romero, the commission’s chair.
“From today forward, when New Mexicans ask what happened here, there is a public record that will answer to that.”
Mr. Epstein acquired Zorro Ranch in 1993, and allegations of his abuse of minors have been traced to as early as 1996. Files related to Zorro Ranch earlier this year sparked dual investigations into Mr. Epstein’s activities there.
The commission says it will use its findings to recommend changes in state law intended to prevent criminal activity and public corruption.
The NMDOJ investigated Mr. Epstein in 2019, but the investigation ended at the request of federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York.
At the commission’s hearing on Wednesday, Rachel Benavidez, who claims Mr. Epstein abused her, condemned the federal government’s shuttering of the 2019 investigation and the lack of attention paid to Zorro Ranch.
“Was this in part an attempt to cover up evidence that could have potentially exposed political corruption and the dishonest missteps our government made in allowing him to roam free here in New Mexico unchecked?” Ms. Benavidez asked.
The commission’s next report is due Dec. 31.