Jeffrey Epstein’s secluded Zorro Ranch in New Mexico is slowly yielding new clues about his abuse of young girls, but Trump administration stonewalling is hindering the investigation, according to officials.
So far, state investigators say Epstein abused at least 35 young girls at the ranch just outside trendy Santa Fe, according to a report released today (Aug. 6) by the New Mexico Survivor’s Truth Commission.
The convicted pedophile and best friend of Donald Trump for almost 20 years, invited a slew of VIP guests and pals to the ranch over the years, which the commission described as a “twisted playground” for Epstein’s depravity.
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The investigation is continuing, but commission officals say they have been frustrated by the Trump Department of Justice’s (DOJ) refusal to answer subpoenas for Epstein documents in its possession.
To break the logjam, the New Mexico state goverment sued the DOJ and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on yesterdy. The federal government is actively blocking is investigation, court papers assert.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, DC, is asking the court to force the federal government to turn over materials to New Mexico’s investigators.
The Justice Department has offered the flimsy pretext that it is not releasing information because of federal court orders banning identifying victims.
“New Mexico has provided no lawful basis to justify such sweeping disclosures,” a DOJ statement said.
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Ironically, the Justice Department cites the New Mexico investigation as a reason for withholding documents becuase it could impact “ongoing inquiries.” No other investigations, outside of Europe, are known to be “ongoing.”
The department also asserts the Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA) and existing court orders bar the agency from releasing child sexual abuse material or graphic images of death and physical abuse.
But last month, Federal District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan in Wasington ordered the Justice Department to produce documents detailing why names were redacted — or blacked out. The department’s response clearly showed some names were redacted because of requests from attorneys of “potential victims.”
Sullivan has since rejected the department’s rationale. Former MSNBC commentator and lawyer Katie Phang filed against Blanche. A follow up hearing has been set for Aug. 13, according to Eliza Orlins, a former New York City public defender.
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The New Mexico legislature created the commission in February, get to the bottom of sorid allegations, including claims in documents released so far that Epstein talked about breeding “super children” at the ranch.
Other reports claimed at least two women, possibly Eastern European girls hoping to become models were buried somewhere on the 7,500-acre ranch. They allegedly died after rough sex with Epstein or one of his friends or clients.
So far the commission has been unable to uncover evidence to substantiate either claim. The property was search with cadaver dogs in March. But it does have subpoena power and a $2 million budget to get to the truth, and it continues to dig.
Both women and men, had reportedly come forward with stoiries about being drugged and having sex organs and sperm harvested from their bodies.
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Epstein bought the ranch in 1993 and owned it until his death, allegedly by suicide in 2019, while being held in a New York City jail on new sex trafficking charges. He reportedly spent about 50 days a year there and entertained lavishly, according to the group’s 119 page report.
Epstein’s companion and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell also frequented the ranch and engaged in sexual abuse there.
The known boldface names who visited there include filmmaker Woody Allen and wife Soon-Yi Previn and linguist and social critic Noam Chomsky, according to detailed in flight logs of his private jet, the “Lolita Express,” referenced in the report.
“A record of his guests serves as a compendium of the rich, powerful, and influential: presidents, governors, cabinet secretaries, captains of industry and finance, Silicon Valley moguls, actors and celebrities, mavens of fashion and the arts, and academic, scientific, and other thought leaders of the highest caliber,” the report states.
‘Too little is known about these individuals at this point to confirm necessary facts – some may be witnesses to abuse, but not survivors of it. Others may be facilitators of Epstein’s abuse, and some may be both survivors and facilitators.”
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The report also noted the FBI never interviewed some Zorro Ranch employees. A number of former employees have been tracked down and could yield important evidence about activities at the ranch.
“The full number is certainly considerably larger and will no doubt grow as review of the EFTA documents and subpoena returns continues,” the report states.
“Identification of Zorro Ranch staff is crucial, as employees and contractors may have information or knowledge about activities at the ranch and the conditions and circumstances that facilitated Epstein’s criminal wrongdoing.”
The commission is still working to uncover more details about victims. So far, it has issued 20 subpoenas to local, state and federal agencies and banks. At least eight parties have refused to comply to date.
Keith Girard has four decades of experience as an award-winning reporter, editor-in-chief, and senior media executive. Keith’s career began in Washington, D.C., where he was a reporter for The Washington Post and a contributing editor for Regardie’s and Washingtonian magazines. He also worked as a writer/producer in CNN’s Washington Bureau and has written non-fiction books on the U.S. Marines in the Gulf War and Donald Trump and two novels, “The Heidelberg Conundrum” and “The Curse of Northam Bay.”