New Mexico filed a lawsuit in federal court Wednesday asking a judge to require the U.S. Department of Justice to hand over unredacted files relating to Jeffrey Epstein, saying the agency is blocking the state's efforts to complete an investigation into the late sex offender.
The complaint, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, accuses the federal government of stalling a probe that New Mexico reopened in February. State officials say full access to Justice Department documents is necessary to identify visitors and staff at Zorro Ranch who allegedly participated in, or witnessed, crimes committed at the property.
New Mexico's lawsuit argues that the federal agency's refusal to provide the requested material is more than a procedural delay. "Federal inaction does not merely stall the investigation; it prolongs and compounds the suffering of survivors," the filing states, and asks the court to compel Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche to produce the unredacted files.
The U.S. Department of Justice responded to the suit by noting limits on what it can disclose. The agency said that under the Epstein Files Transparency Act and existing protective court orders, it is neither required nor permitted to turn over victim-identifying information. In a statement the DOJ added: "New Mexico has provided no lawful basis to justify such sweeping disclosures."
Officials in Santa Fe have not yet announced any charges more than five months into the state investigation. New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez told reporters the state is dedicating a "substantial" amount of resources to the probe but declined to offer further detail on findings. "We haven’t charged someone because we need to see those files before we charge someone," Torrez said.
State authorities contend the Justice Department backed away from a 2019 agreement in which New Mexico agreed to pause its own inquiry and turn over evidence to federal authorities in exchange for continued sharing of information about alleged survivors and criminal conduct. The lawsuit asserts that the federal government has not lived up to the information-sharing expectations of that arrangement.
New Mexico officials have emphasized that the state's inquiry could have consequences beyond its borders if it is able to identify and pursue prosecutions of figures alleged to have sexually abused girls and women at Epstein's ranch. At the same time, Torrez has acknowledged several challenges to the investigation, including the passage of decades since some alleged incidents, the reported disappearance of evidence after the ranch was sold in 2023, and potential jurisdictional complications that could affect prosecution decisions.
The litigation marks a further escalation in a dispute over access to Epstein-related records that state authorities say are crucial to advancing their case. The court's handling of the suit will determine whether New Mexico gains fuller access to materials it says are necessary to move from investigation to potential charges.