New Mexico attorney general says Justice Department is withholding records in Epstein ranch investigation
How left and right are reading this
- Both agree
- Delays in getting unredacted records could undermine the reopened state investigation by making relevant people harder to find and evidence harder to preserve.
- They split on
- Whether the story is about vulnerable survivors and witnesses losing a chance at justice, or about federal-state coordination breaking down in a live investigation.
The Facts
- New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez accused the U.S. Justice Department of withholding unredacted records related to Jeffrey Epstein's former ranch in New Mexico.
- Torrez made the accusation public on Thursday by releasing a letter dated June 30 that he sent to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
- Torrez says he first requested the records in February and made multiple follow-up requests in the months afterward without receiving the unredacted files he sought.
- New Mexico reopened an investigation in February into alleged criminal activity at Epstein's former Zorro Ranch south of Santa Fe.
- Torrez says the requested records could help identify survivors, witnesses and other people relevant to the state's investigation.
- Torrez argues that continued delays could weaken any potential state case by making witnesses harder to reach and evidence harder to preserve or authenticate over time.
- The Justice Department disputes that it has failed to engage, saying it responded to New Mexico in June and is prepared to assist or pursue any federal crimes identified by the state investigation.
Context
What records is New Mexico seeking?
Torrez says New Mexico wants unredacted Justice Department records related to Epstein's Zorro Ranch, including material he says could identify survivors, witnesses, co-conspirators and other people relevant to the state's criminal investigation NYT,Yahoo,Curated - BLOX Digi….
Why does Torrez say the delay matters?
He says delays can make a prosecution harder because witnesses may relocate, memories may fade, and physical or documentary evidence can become harder to preserve or authenticate; he also warned of possible legal hurdles if too much time passes CNN,Albuquerque Journal,nbcpalmsprings.com.
What is the Justice Department's response?
According to multiple reports, the Justice Department says it responded to the state's request in June and remains ready to assist New Mexico or prosecute any federal crimes uncovered by the investigation Economic Times,Straits Times,Yahoo,nbcpalmsprings.com.
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