New Mexico has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice, accusing the federal agency of withholding unredacted files linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and obstructing its renewed criminal investigation.
The Democratic-led state reopened its inquiry in February and is seeking access to documents that could identify visitors, employees and potential witnesses connected to Epstein's Zorro Ranch estate near Stanley, New Mexico.
State officials argue the records are essential to determining whether others were involved in, or witnessed, alleged crimes committed at the property.
"Federal inaction does not merely stall the investigation; it prolongs and compounds the suffering of survivors," the lawsuit states.
The case asks a federal court in Washington to order Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to release the requested files.
The Department of Justice said it had already shared some material but could not release other documents because of legal protections for victims.
A department spokesperson said the Epstein Files Transparency Act and existing court orders prevent the disclosure of information that could identify survivors.
"New Mexico has provided no lawful basis to justify such sweeping disclosures," the spokesperson said.
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez said investigators have devoted substantial resources to the case but have not brought charges because they are still waiting for the federal files.
"We haven't charged someone because we need to see those files before we charge someone," Torrez said.
State officials also allege the Justice Department failed to honour a 2019 agreement under which New Mexico paused its own investigation and handed evidence to federal prosecutors in exchange for continued information sharing.
Torrez has previously said the investigation is complicated by the passage of time, the disappearance of evidence after Zorro Ranch was sold in 2023 and questions over legal jurisdiction.
The lawsuit came as New Mexico lawmakers released an interim report from an independent Truth Commission investigating Epstein's activities in the state.
The report says evidence gathered so far suggests Epstein abused at least five women and girls at Zorro Ranch between 1996 and 2012. Investigators have also identified at least 30 other people who may have been victims, witnesses or facilitators.
Commission chair Andrea Romero said more than 100,000 records had been obtained through subpoenas, although several requests were refused or ignored, including efforts to obtain Epstein's flight records from the Federal Aviation Administration and evidence previously handed to federal prosecutors.
Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, owned several properties across the United States, including Zorro Ranch in New Mexico.
Allegations surrounding his associates and the handling of investigative files have remained under intense public and political investigation, with the issue continuing to generate controversy years after his death.
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