The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has said it cannot provide unredacted files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to New Mexico authorities, citing federal legal restrictions and escalating a dispute with state officials investigating allegations linked to his former ranch.
The response comes after New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez accused the DOJ of obstructing the state’s criminal investigation by failing to hand over the requested records.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, a Justice Department spokesperson said federal law, court orders and privacy protections for victims and witnesses prevent the release of millions of unredacted documents.
“We will continue to follow federal law and the court orders that are in place,” the spokesperson said.
New Mexico reopened its investigation in February into activities at Epstein’s former ranch south of Santa Fe, where he was abusing women and girls over nearly three decades.
According to Torrez, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for New Mexico responded to the state’s request on July 10 by providing just 31 pages of material that had already been made public, along with heavily redacted documents and photocopies of local news articles. He argued the documents were largely unusable for the state’s investigation.
New Mexico’s Justice Department rejected the federal government’s explanation, saying prosecutors routinely seek to modify protective orders when sharing evidence with state law enforcement agencies conducting criminal investigations.
“That’s what real cooperation means,” New Mexico DOJ spokesperson Lauren Rodriguez said in a statement.
The disagreement comes amid continued pressure from Epstein survivors and their advocates for the federal government to release the Epstein files in full. The issue has also remained politically sensitive for President Donald Trump, who has said the country should move on from the matter.
Separately, New Mexico’s state legislature is conducting its own investigation into Epstein. Last month, its Truth Commission subpoenaed U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in three states and the U.S. Virgin Islands, seeking information on whether federal prosecutors investigated Epstein and declined to pursue charges.
The commission is expected to release an interim report later this month, while Attorney General Torrez has not yet announced any findings from the state’s reopened investigation.
