DOJ misses Epstein ranch records deadline

The Department of Justice has missed a Friday deadline set by the New Mexico Attorney General to release information about the abuse of girls at a ranch owned by sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the Guardian reported.

N.M. Attorney General Raul Torrez asked DOJ in February for the unredacted files after he reopened an investigation into activities at Epstein’s 10,000-acre New Mexico ranch.

Despite allegations of sexual abuse at the ranch, no federal search has taken place, the Guardian reported.

Torrez said the Justice Department only handed over 31 pages. He has threatened a lawsuit if more documents are not released.

He told the Guardian the information was just old news clippings and pages that were heavily redacted.

He said the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York told him it would not cooperate with his investigation.

Epstein, a New York financier who committed suicide in prison in 2019 while awaiting charges on child sex trafficking, bought the estate in 1993 from former New Mexico Gov. Bruce King.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said at his confirmation hearing that he was “continuing to work” with New Mexico law enforcement, but Torrez told the Guardian he has not heard anything from him.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico said Torrez’s office “did not lead or handle the Zorro Ranch investigation and therefore neither collected nor retained any investigative materials”

Torrez told MS Now that Blanche has been stonewalling him.

“It appears that the administration has been really focused on the management of communications around the Epstein case, rather than acting in a way that demonstrates a commitment to getting to the truth and getting to accountability,” Torrez said on MS Now.

Torrez said Blanche “has the authority right now, with the stroke of a pen, to grant us this access, to let us, our investigators and prosecutors, come and take a look at the files, identify co-conspirators, witnesses, corroborating evidence, and identify new potential leads.””Every day that goes by where that doesn’t happen is another day that we’ve delayed delivering justice for the survivors,” Torrez said.

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