New Mexico has argued that nonpublic records are critical to its criminal investigation into allegations of abuse at Epstein’s ranch.
The United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) said it cannot provide unredacted files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to the state of New Mexico.
In a social media post on Wednesday, it argued that doing so would violate current law.
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“Federal law, court orders, and victim and witness privacy protections do not allow us to release millions of unredacted documents,” the department said.
The post was made in response to pressure from the New Mexico Department of Justice, led by Democratic Attorney General Raul Torres.
In a letter released last week, Torres accused President Donald Trump’s administration of obstructing the state investigation by refusing to release important documents.
But the U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ) pushed back on Wednesday’s post, arguing that Torrez’s request was outside its authority.
“We continue to comply with federal law and court orders currently in place,” the Justice Department said. “Giving in to their demands would be a violation of federal law. Is that what (the New Mexico attorney general) is suggesting?”
The Epstein scandal has been a source of pressure on the Trump administration since the Republican leader began his second term in 2025.
Critics say the administration has failed to commit to transparency, and there is speculation that officials are shielding prominent figures in the Epstein file.
Trump himself was a member of Epstein’s social circle. He denies any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
Epstein is accused of directing a sex trafficking ring with hundreds of victims.
In 2019, during the Trump administration, federal prosecutors asked New Mexico to halt its investigation into Epstein’s activities in the state so it could proceed with its own case.
However, Epstein died in prison the same year. 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 File Transparency Act.
In a letter this month, Torres explained that his office has spent more than five months searching for unredacted federal records needed to advance the investigation.
But the department has not yet received all the files it requested, Torrez said. He called the Justice Department’s actions a “deliberate choice not to cooperate.”
“Every day the USDOJ withholds these records, potential lawsuits brought on behalf of New Mexico survivors become increasingly difficult,” Torrez wrote.
“Witnesses are relocated and unreachable, memories already strained by years of trauma and silence continue to fade, and physical and documentary evidence deteriorates or is lost.”
New Mexico is investigating the alleged trafficking of women and girls to Epstein’s Zorro Ranch, a vast estate he owned south of Santa Fe from 1993 until his death.
Documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice in January include videos of sexual abuse and unconfirmed information about the alleged burial of two foreign girls on the property.
Survivors like the late Virginia Giuffre have also come forward with accusations of sexual assault and other crimes that occurred on the ranch. State officials say the allegations have not been fully investigated.
The controversy comes amid increased scrutiny of the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein file.
The administration continues to face questions about whether it is in full compliance with the Epstein File Transparency Act, passed in November.
It called on the Justice Department to release Epstein-related records within 30 days, with limited redactions to protect victims.
Millions of files were eventually released, many with significant redactions, exposing the identities of some victims.
