In New Letter to USDOJ, Torrez Highlights More Than 130 Day Delay in Response to Records Request
Albuquerque, NM — New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez sent a new letter to Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche and Associate Deputy Attorney General Diego Pestana demanding that the U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ) immediately turn over unredacted Epstein records that the USDOJ has held for years. In the letter, AG Torrez states that “more than 130 days have now elapsed since the NMDOJ’s initial request” for unredacted records and calls the USDOJ’s delay “unreasonable under any rule of reason.”
The NMDOJ is the only entity actively conducting a criminal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged crimes at Zorro Ranch in Santa Fe County. The USDOJ has long possessed the records and investigative materials that NMDOJ needs to identify survivors, witnesses, and co-conspirators, but has not provided unredacted access, despite repeated formal requests and prior assurances of cooperation.
“Despite verbal assurances of cooperation from the USDOJ, access to the requested records has not been granted, no substantive response has been provided, and more than 130 days have now elapsed since the NMDOJ’s initial request,” writes AG Torrez. “The NMDOJ views this length of time as an unreasonable delay under any rule of reason.”
AG Torrez goes on to write: “Heavily redacted open-source records already establish that multiple survivors were brought to Zorro Ranch in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, on numerous occasions, where they were subjected to sexual abuse and exploitation. The redacted records show that, under those redactions, records in the USDOJ’s custody contain the names of survivors, witnesses, co-conspirators, and other individuals whose identities are essential to the NMDOJ’s ability to fulfill its obligation to investigate and prosecute criminal conduct occurring within this State.”
Attorney General Raúl Torrez’s full letter to acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche
