Santa Fe, New Mexico — An isolated desert farm where the financier and sex offender are located Jeffrey Epstein After being entertained, guests are under new scrutiny in New Mexico, where two state lawmakers are proposing to form a “truth commission” to investigate future sex trafficking.
Democratic state Rep. Andrea Romero of Santa Fe said several survivors of Epstein’s abuse indicated that sex trafficking activity extended to Zorro Ranch, a sprawling estate that includes a hilltop mansion and a private amphitheater about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of the state capital. However, she added, not enough is known about what happened there for the state to take precautions against future abuses.
“This committee will specifically seek to get to the bottom of what officials know, how the crimes went unreported and unreported, and how the state can ensure it never happens again,” Romero told a panel of lawmakers Thursday. “There is no complete record of what happened.”
The investigation, with a proposed budget of $2.5 million, would push New Mexico into an international swath of investigations into Epstein’s connections. Which disturbs the US Congress On Thursday, it prompted King Charles III to formally dispossess his brother Andrew Mountbatten Windsor From the title of prince.
Epstein himself committed suicide in a Manhattan prison while awaiting trial in 2019 on charges of sexually assaulting and trafficking dozens of underage girls.
The case was filed more than a decade later after he secretly struck a deal with federal prosecutors in Florida to get rid of nearly identical allegations. Epstein He was accused He paid underage girls hundreds of dollars in cash for massages and then molested them.
Epstein purchased the Zorro Ranch in New Mexico in 1993 from former Democratic Governor Bruce King and built a 26,700-square-foot (2,480 m2) mansion. The property will be sold by Epstein’s company in 2023, and the proceeds will go to creditors.
While Epstein never faced charges in New Mexico, the state Attorney General’s Office did in 2019 She confirmed that she was investigating They interviewed potential victims who visited the farm.
In 2023, New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez ordered an investigation into the financial companies used by Epstein and their legal liabilities, agency spokeswoman Lauren Rodriguez said. She added that this led to the conclusion of agreements with two banks allocating $17 million to combat human trafficking.
On Thursday, Democratic and Republican lawmakers expressed cautious support for a new investigation, amid concerns that New Mexico laws allowed Epstein to avoid registering locally as a sex offender long after he was required to register in Florida.
In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to a charge of soliciting a minor to engage in prostitution under a deal that required him to serve 13 months in prison and register as a sex offender — a deal that was widely criticized because it secretly ended a federal sex abuse investigation involving at least 40 teenage girls.
“I feel like this is a unique opportunity to help victims,” said Republican Rep. Andrea Repp, a former prosecutor from Clovis. “I believe the people of New Mexico have a right to know what happened on this ranch. I was not under the impression that it would be a big political matter.”
But another Republican lawmaker asked: “Why now?” – Noting tensions related to President Donald Trump and his pledge to release documents related to the late sex trafficker.
“Why not a long time ago?” Rep. Stafani Lord of Sandia Park said. “Every time I ride my motorcycle near there (Zorro Farm), I feel nauseous.”
Results after at least two years. To move forward with a truth commission, approval from the state House of Representatives is needed first when the Legislature reconvenes in January to create a bipartisan oversight committee made up of four lawmakers, said Democratic state Rep. Mariana Anaya, a co-sponsor of the initiative.