The state of New Mexico is suing the Department of Justice to get access to unredacted copies of investigative files on Jeffrey Epstein and his time at Zorro Ranch.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has been involved in a monthslong dispute with President Donald Trump
's administration over the records, after the Democratic-led state legislature passed a law requiring an investigation into Zorro Ranch.Epstein owned the ranch dating back to the 1990s, and women have said Epstein assaulted them on the property. Epstein was never charged for activity in New Mexico, and his 2019 federal indictment focused on actions in New York and Florida.
The suit says the Epstein files contain 13,000 references to Zorro Ranch and 5,000 references to New Mexico,
but the Department of Justice and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche "are refusing to facilitate the investigation of state law crimes by hiding information about Epstein and his co-conspirators."
Kiersten Pels, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice, said court orders in New York don't permit "carte blanche" disclosure of victim information, and New Mexico "has provided no lawful basis" to justify "sweeping disclosures" of victim information.
"Protecting victim privacy remains a top priority for the Department, and neither (formal) requests nor a desire to cooperate outweighs that privacy," Pels wrote. "DOJ remains available to assist New Mexico's investigation consistent with the law and binding court orders."
Trump nominated Blanche to the permanent post as attorney general, and the full Senate will decide as soon as this week whether to confirm him. At his confirmation hearing on July 16, Blanche said the department was not actively seeking prosecutions related to Epstein.
Epstein survivors have been advocating against Blanche's confirmation, and Dani Bensky, who identifies as a survivor, specifically criticized the department's interactions with New Mexico at a Senate hearing.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New Mexico sues Justice Dept. over Epstein files on Zorro Ranch
