New Mexico has launched what lawmakers describe as the first full investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s activities at Zorro Ranch, where the late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is accused of trafficking and sexually assaulting girls and women.
A unanimous House vote on Monday created a truth commission with subpoena power to examine events at the 7,600-acre ranch south of Santa Fe.
A four-member bipartisan committee will seek testimony from survivors of alleged sexual abuse at the ranch. Legislators are also urging local residents to testify to identify ranch guests and state officials who may have known what was going.
The legislation could pose risks to any additional politicians linked to Epstein in the Democratic-run state, as well as scientists, investors and other high-profile individuals who visited the ranch.
Authorities said that findings will be delivered in July and a final report by the end of the year.
State Representative Andrea Romero said Epstein operated “without any accountability whatsoever.” Testimony could support future prosecutions.
The move follows the release of millions of Epstein-related files, intensifying political pressure on President Donald Trump’s administration.
Epstein, who died in 2019, was never charged in New Mexico, though civil suits accuse him of allegedly abusing minors at the ranch as early as 1996.
Former attorney general Hector Balderas paused a 2019 probe at the request of federal prosecutors. Current attorney general Raul Torrez has assigned a special agent to follow new leads.
Advocates say New Mexico was overlooked. Attorney Sigrid McCawley said “many of the survivors had experiences in New Mexico,” including Virginia Giuffre.
The Justice Department referred questions to the FBI, which declined to comment.
Epstein bought the ranch in 1993 from former governor Bruce King. It was sold in 2023 to Texas businessman Don Huffines, who has said he will cooperate with investigators, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper.
Ranch manager Brice Gordon told the FBI in 2007 that Epstein flew in guests and “masseuses,” and hired local therapists from Santa Fe spa Ten Thousand Waves which denied providing referrals.
A 2016 unsealed deposition shows Giuffre alleging Ghislaine Maxwell instructed her to give former governor Bill Richardson a “massage.” His representative previously called the claim “completely false.”
Emails in the files show Epstein kept ties with academics and consultants. Joshua Ramo said he visited the ranch once in 2014 for lunch and met Epstein about 14 times in New York.
"I deferred to the due diligence of the institutions involved, assuming that his presence signalled he had been appropriately vetted," Ramo, in a statement, said of his ranch visit and other meetings with Epstein.
"I feel a deep sense of grief for the survivors of his crimes," Ramo added.
Epstein contributed to several Democratic politicians. A former New Mexico attorney general Gary King and son of Bruce King, used a charter flight partly paid by Epstein during a 2014 gubernatorial run. He did not comment.
Civil suits portray the ranch as a site of unchecked alleged abuse for decades. The $2.5 million inquiry aims to close gaps in state law and determine how Epstein was able to operate in New Mexico for so long.
The Pentagon has threatened to designate artificial intelligence firm Anthropic as a “supply chain risk” amid a dispute over the military use of i...
Representatives of Ukraine, Russia and the United States are set to meet in Geneva for a third round of trilateral negotiations aimed at ending the ne...
Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed two people in 12 hours, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said on Tuesday....
Hundreds of millions of people criss-cross China during Lunar New Year holidays to reunite with families in their hometowns or for sight-seeing in an ...
New Mexico has launched what lawmakers describe as the first full investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s activities at Zorro Ranch, where the late U.S...
A Republican lawmaker accused on Wednesday (11 February) Attorney General Pam Bondi of concealing the names of Jeffrey Epstein’s powerful associates. The claim was made during a heated House hearing on the Justice Department’s handling of the files.
Senator Chuck Schumer appeared in Washington alongside survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse to introduce proposed legislation known as ‘Virginia’s Law’, aimed at eliminating the statute of limitations for sex traffickers and abusers.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered a stark apology on Thursday, launching a direct attack on former British ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson and admitting he was wrong to trust him.
Peter Mandelson has been one of the most influential and controversial figures in British politics but disclosures about his past relationships and conduct in government have triggered a political crisis in the UK and raising questions internationally. But who is he and why is he in the headlines?
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani said the United States could evaluate its own interests separately from those of Israel in ongoing negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday (15 February) called it “troubling” a report by five European allies blaming Russia for killing late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny using a toxin from poison dart frogs.
Cuba’s fuel crisis has turned into a waste crisis, with rubbish piling up on most street corners in Havana as many collection trucks lack enough petrol to operate.
Norway is holding a commanding lead in the medal standings with 12 golds and a total of 26, with Italy having an historic performance on home soil on the ninth day of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics on Sunday (15 February).
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy held military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday (16 February), state-linked media reported. The drill took place a day before renewed nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington in Geneva.
Hundreds of millions of people criss-cross China during Lunar New Year holidays to reunite with families in their hometowns or for sight-seeing in an extended festive period, making it the world's largest annual human migration.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 17th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Former U.S. President Barack Obama said aliens are “real,” but emphasised that he never encountered any indication of extraterrestrial contact while in office.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government would not assist Australian families of suspected Islamic State (IS) militants return home from a Syrian camp.
The Pentagon has threatened to designate artificial intelligence firm Anthropic as a “supply chain risk” amid a dispute over the military use of its Claude AI model, according to a report published Monday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment