New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed a federal lawsuit, accusing Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and the U.S. Justice Department of unlawfully blocking state investigators from accessing key evidence regarding Jeffrey Epstein’s sex crimes and trafficking at his former Zorro Ranch.
The legal action, filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., arrived alongside a preliminary report detailing New Mexico’s ongoing probe into the late financier’s estate. State prosecutors asserted that federal leadership has stonewalled their criminal investigation, implementing an obstructionist policy that actively harms survivors seeking accountability. Torrez reported that his office submitted 10 separate information requests that were either ignored or denied by federal officials.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez Targets DOJ Stonewalling
State prosecutors argued that federal authorities are withholding crucial documentation necessary to hold Epstein’s co-conspirators accountable. In a video conference with reporters, Torrez criticized the acting attorney general’s refusal to cooperate (reported Bloomberg).
“Todd Blanche today with a stroke of a pen could grant us the access that he claimed. Instead they have decided to stonewall, to obstruct and to frankly conceal for whatever reason.”
Raúl Torrez, New Mexico Attorney General, via Boston Herald
The Justice Department defended its withheld disclosures by citing ongoing restrictions. In an official statement, the agency noted that federal court orders explicitly prohibit disclosing victim-identifying information carte blanche
and maintained that New Mexico failed to establish a lawful basis for sweeping file releases. Federal officials added that safeguarding survivor privacy remains a top priority while asserting readiness to assist state investigators strictly within the confines of existing court orders.
Zorro Ranch History and Prior Federal Disclosures
The investigation centers on the sprawling estate Epstein purchased in 1993 from former Democratic Governor Bruce King. Situated in Stanley, New Mexico—a sparsely populated ranching community roughly 30 miles south of Santa Fe—the property featured a hilltop mansion, private airstrip, and helipad where witnesses alleged abuse took place. Epstein’s estate subsequently sold the property in 2023 to the family of Don Huffines, a Texas Republican recently appointed state comptroller, who renamed the estate San Rafael Ranch with plans to operate a Christian retreat.
Friction over investigative access compounds longstanding public frustration regarding federal transparency. In December, the Justice Department began releasing investigative records pursuant to the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Lawmakers and accusers immediately criticized the rollouts, citing heavy blackouts, recycled public documents, and botched redactions that inadvertently exposed private survivor data.
Senate Confirmation Scrutiny and Survivor Confrontations
The federal lawsuit coincides with a turbulent confirmation process for Blanche as he seeks permanent appointment as U.S. Amid intense questioning from the Senate Judiciary Committee, North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis conditioned his committee vote on Blanche holding a direct meeting with Epstein survivors (reported CNBC).
That face-to-face gathering at the Department of Justice on July 16, 2026, drew severe rebukes from attendees who characterized it as an insincere procedural hurdle (noted the Washington Examiner).
“After meeting with Todd Blanche, I feel even more confident in urging senators to vote against his confirmation as the United States’ Attorney General,” Annie Farmer, one of those victims, said in a statement Thursday night. “I found him abrasive, condescending, and intentionally noncommittal to survivors — a marked contrast to his public testimony during his confirmation hearing.”
Annie Farmer, Epstein survivor, via CNBC
Additional participants echoed those grievances. Survivor Dani Bensky criticized Blanche for failing to explain how the Justice Department leaked private identifying data and asserted that he offered no concrete roadmap for pursuing co-conspirators (reported CNBC). Survivor Liz Stein dismissed the sit-down during an interview with MS NOW, stating that it had absolutely nothing to do with us, and it had everything to do with Blanche checking a box so that he can get a promotion
(cited by CNBC).
Divergent Political Reactions and Committee Stakes
While survivors urged the Senate to reject the nomination, Senator Tillis praised Blanche for engaging directly with victims—an action Tillis noted none of his predecessors undertook over the prior two decades (according to CNBC). Blanche acknowledged to reporters that the encounter wasn’t all cordial
because survivors demanded forms of judicial resolution the agency cannot readily deliver (reported CNBC).
With all ten Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee expected to oppose the nomination and the recent vacancy left by the death of South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, Tillis’s vote remains pivotal for advancing Blanche to the full Senate (noted CNBC). Whether New Mexico’s federal lawsuit alters federal compliance or impacts the confirmation timeline remains pending before the court.