New Mexico sues US government for access to Epstein files

New Mexico sued the U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday for access to unredacted files on Jeffrey Epstein, alleging the federal agency was stonewalling the state's investigation into the late sex offender by refusing to provide the documents.



The lawsuit escalates a politically charged dispute over the U.S. agency's Epstein files, an issue that has dogged the Trump administration. The Democratic-run state reopened its Epstein investigation in February and requested unredacted U.S. DOJ files to identify visitors and staff at Zorro Ranch, a property owned by Epstein near Stanley, New Mexico, who allegedly took part in crimes, or witnessed them.



The U.S. Department of Justice has said it provided some files but was prevented from supplying other material due to privacy protections.



"Federal inaction does not merely stall the investigation; it prolongs and compounds the suffering of survivors," the New Mexico lawsuit argued, requesting that the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia compel acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche to release the requested files.



In response to the lawsuit, the U.S. DOJ said that under the Epstein Files Transparency Act and protective court orders, it was neither required nor permitted to disclose victim-identifying information.