New Mexico Lawmakers Launch Investigation at Jeffrey Epsteins Zorro Ranch Property

New Mexico lawmakers have approved a bipartisan investigation into Zorro Ranch, a 7,600-acre property in southern New Mexico where late financier Jeffrey Epstein is alleged to have trafficked and sexually assaulted girls and women. The legislation, which passed the state House of Representatives unanimously on Monday, establishes a “truth commission” with four members who will seek testimony from victims and local residents about the ranch.

The commission’s work is expected to begin on Tuesday, with an initial update scheduled for July and a full report by the end of this year. The investigation comes after the release of over three million previously unpublicized files related to Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

Epstein purchased the ranch from former New Mexico Governor Bruce King in 1993. Victim advocates say Epstein trafficked and sexually abused girls at the property as early as 1996, including Virginia Giuffre, a prominent victim who accused Epstein and British royal Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of abuse. Multiple civil lawsuits specify the ranch as a site of abuse.

The commission will have subpoena power and aims to gather testimony that could be used in future litigation. New Mexico’s state attorney general has also allocated a special agent to investigate any allegations that arise. The ranch was sold at an auction in 2023 to the family of Don Huffines, a former Republican Texas senator who is now running for Texas state comptroller.

The commission’s work is expected to provide a fuller understanding of events at the ranch and help ensure that similar incidents are prevented in the future.

Source: Al Jazeera