US Justice Department refuses New Mexico’s request for Epstein files

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkArmed guards protect the entrance to Zorro Ranch, a property formerly owned by Jeffrey Epstein, on March 8 [Rebecca Noble/Reuters]By Al Jazeera Staff and ReutersPublished On 15 Jul 202615 Jul 2026The United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) has said it cannot provide the state of New Mexico with unredacted files pertaining to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.In a social media post on Wednesday, it argued that doing so would violate existing law.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Bill Gates testifies in closed-door US House meeting over Epstein tieslist 2 of 3New Mexico accuses US Justice Department of impeding Epstein investigationlist 3 of 3Todd Blanche’s loyalty to Trump questioned in Senate confirmation hearingend of list“Federal law, court orders, and privacy protections for victims and witnesses do not allow us to release millions of unredacted documents,” the department wrote.The post came in response to pressure from New Mexico’s Department of Justice, led by state Attorney General Raul Torrez, a Democrat.In a letter released to the public last week, Torrez accused the administration of President Donald Trump of obstructing his state’s investigation by refusing to release critical documents.But the US Justice Department (USDOJ) pushed back in Wednesday’s post, claiming Torrez’s request fell outside its authority.“We will continue to follow federal law and the court orders that are in place,” the Justice Department said. “To capitulate to their demands would be to break federal law. Is that what the [New Mexico attorney general] is suggesting?”The Epstein scandal has been a pressure point for the Trump administration since the Republican leader began his second term in 2025.Critics say the administration has fallen short of its commitment to transparency, with some speculating that officials may be shielding powerful figures featured in the Epstein files.Trump himself was part of Epstein’s social circle. He has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.Epstein is accused of directing a sex-trafficking ring whose victims number in the hundreds.In 2019, during Trump’s first administration, federal prosecutors called on New Mexico to suspend its investigation into Epstein’s activities in the state to allow their own case to proceed.Epstein, however, died that year while in jail. 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 Files Transparency Act.In his letter this month, Torrez explained that his office has spent more than five months seeking the unredacted federal records it needs to proceed with its probe.But the office has yet to receive 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, the case that could be brought on behalf of New Mexico survivors becomes more difficult to make,” Torrez wrote.“Witnesses relocate and become unreachable, memories already strained by years of trauma and silence continue to fade, physical and documentary evidence degrades or is lost.”New Mexico is examining allegations that women and girls were trafficked to Epstein’s Zorro Ranch, a sprawling property he owned south of Santa Fe from 1993 until his death.Documents released by the US Justice Department in January include an unverified tip about videos of sexual abuse and the alleged burial of two foreign girls on the property.Survivors like the late Virginia Giuffre have also made allegations about sexual assault and other crimes taking place on the ranch. State officials say those allegations were never fully investigated.The dispute comes amid growing scrutiny of the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files.The administration continues to face questions about whether it fully complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed in November.It required the Justice Department to publish its Epstein-related records within 30 days, with limited redactions to protect victims.Millions of files were eventually released, many with heavy redactions, while the identities of some victims were exposed.