US Justice Department refuses New Mexico’s request for Epstein files
The US Department of Justice declined to provide New Mexico with unredacted Epstein-related documents, citing federal laws and privacy protections.
The United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) has said it cannot provide the state of New Mexico with unredacted records pertaining to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a social media post on Wednesday, the department argued that doing so would violate existing federal law, court orders, and privacy protections for victims and witnesses.
The response came after pressure from New Mexico's Department of Justice, led by state Attorney General Raul Torrez, a Democrat. In a letter released last week, Torrez accused the administration of President Donald Trump of obstructing the state's investigation by refusing to release critical documents.
The Epstein scandal has been a pressure point for the Trump administration since the Republican leader began his second term in 2025. Critics say the administration has fallen short of its commitment to transparency, with some speculating that officials may be shielding powerful figures featured in the Epstein files. Trump himself was part of Epstein's social circle but has denied any knowledge of his crimes.
Epstein is accused of directing a sex-trafficking ring with hundreds of victims. In 2019, during Trump's first administration, federal prosecutors asked New Mexico to suspend its investigation into Epstein's activities in the state to allow their own case to proceed. However, Epstein died that year in jail, and his death was deemed a suicide.
New Mexico reopened its investigation in February after the second Trump administration released millions of records under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. In his letter, Torrez explained that his office has spent more than five months seeking the unredacted federal records needed to proceed with the probe but has not yet received all requested files. He called the Justice Department's actions a "deliberate choice not to cooperate."
The state is examining allegations that women and girls were trafficked to Epstein's Zorro Ranch, a property he owned south of Santa Fe from 1993 until his death. Documents released in January include an unverified tip about videos of sexual abuse and the alleged burial of two foreign girls on the property. Survivors like the late Virginia Giuffre have also made allegations about sexual assault and other crimes on the ranch. State officials say those allegations were never fully investigated.
The dispute comes amid growing scrutiny of the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files. The administration continues to face questions about whether it fully complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed in November, which required the Justice Department to publish its Epstein-related records within 30 days with limited redactions to protect victims. Millions of files were eventually released, many with heavy redactions, while the identities of some victims were exposed.
