Legislators in New Mexico have approved a bill that will create an investigative commission to look into allegations of sexual abuse and trafficking at the Zorro Ranch, a property owned by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The legislation, which passed unanimously in the state House of Representatives on Monday, gives a bipartisan group of four legislators the power to take testimony from alleged victims, as well as witnesses living in the vicinity of the 7,600-acre ranch, which is about 30 miles south of the state capital.
The lawmakers explained that the investigation is meant to “answer questions over the years of whether there was criminal activity on the property and whether public officials or influential visitors had knowledge of the abuse.
” Epstein, a convicted sex offender who was facing federal charges of sex trafficking at the time of his death, died in a New York jail in 2019 in what was ruled a suicide.
The commission is set to open on Tuesday, with preliminary results expected in July and a final report expected before the end of the year.
State Representative Andrea Romero, a Democrat who co-sponsored the bill, said that the testimony gathered by the commission could be used in future criminal cases if they arise. She said that Epstein seemed to have operated in New Mexico “without any accountability whatsoever.”
The investigation is occurring in the aftermath of increased media coverage of Epstein’s activities in the wake of the recent public release of millions of documents by the U.S. Department of Justice in connection with previous federal investigations.
These include references to Epstein’s connections with several New Mexico politicians, including two former Democratic governors and a former state attorney general, although no new criminal charges have been brought in connection with these revelations.
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Survivor advocates have long hypothesized that alleged abuse at Zorro Ranch had received comparatively little attention compared to Epstein’s properties in New York and his private Caribbean island, both of which had been well-known in federal trials and civil litigation.
Attorney Sigrid McCawley, whose firm has represented several victims of Epstein, said that many victims had reported their experiences in New Mexico and that the state-level investigation was an opportunity to assess claims that had never been fully assessed.
There have been a few civil cases that have claimed that Epstein sexually assaulted children at the ranch, although he was never charged in New Mexico in relation to these claims.
Romero wrote that there was no evidence found by lawmakers that search of the property had been conducted by federal law enforcement, also known as the “playboy ranch,” despite claims that date back to the 1990s, including claims made by a 16-year-old girl.
A previous investigation that was launched in 2019 by then New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas was temporarily suspended at the request of federal prosecutors due to duplication of investigations, as stated at the time.
The current attorney general, Raul Torrez, has assigned a special agent to review allegations that may emerge from the legislative commission, as stated by a spokesperson for the attorney general’s office.
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The bill to create the inquiry was passed at the same time as an unrelated but unsuccessful bill to extend the statute of limitations statute in childhood sexual assault cases.
This bill, which would have enabled more civil suits to proceed, was not considered by a state House of Representatives committee because of concerns expressed about possible insurance costs related to lawsuits against public entities, according to co-sponsor Representative Marianna Anaya.
Zorro Ranch is known for its celebrity guests. Epstein bought the ranch in 1993 from Bruce King, a three-term Democratic governor of New Mexico who died in 2009.
The ranch was sold in 2023 by the Epstein estate to Texas businessman and politician Don Huffines. A spokesperson for Huffines told the Santa Fe New Mexican that the present owner is ready to cooperate with any law enforcement inquiry.
Other individuals acknowledged visiting the ranch but denied any knowledge of the illegal activities.
Investment consultant Joshua Ramo, in a statement, acknowledged lunching at the ranch in 2014 with academics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University.
He stated that he had trusted the vetting process of the institutions at the time and sympathized with the victims, saying that he had no memory of discussions in certain emails regarding the ranch.
The emails that were released among the Epstein documents also reveal political donations and travel arrangements involving officials from New Mexico.
Epstein made donations to the campaigns of several Democratic politicians in the state, including Richardson and former attorney general Gary King.
The legislators stated that the commission will focus on evidence and loopholes in the state regulation that could have resulted in the alleged irregularities going unchecked.
The results will be submitted to the state prosecutors and relevant authorities once the final report is compiled later this year.