Epstein's Former NM Ranch Now Under Scrutiny, Too

A secluded desert ranch where financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein once entertained guests is coming under new scrutiny in New Mexico, where two state legislators are proposing an investigative "truth commission" to determine exactly what went on there. The AP has the details:

• Democratic state Rep. Andrea Romero of Santa Fe said several survivors of Epstein's abuse have signaled that sex trafficking activity extended to Zorro Ranch, a sprawling property about 35 miles south of the capital Santa Fe. Yet not enough is known about what happened there for the state to take precautions against abuse in the future, she said.
• "This commission will specifically seek the truth about what officials knew, how crimes were unreported or reported, and how the state can ensure that this essentially never happens again," Romero told a panel of legislators this week. "There's no complete record of what occurred."

• The investigation, with a proposed $2.5 million budget, would thrust New Mexico into an international array of probes into Epstein's associations that is roiling the US Congress—and the royal family.
• Epstein purchased the Zorro Ranch in 1993 from former Democratic Gov. Bruce King and built a 26,700-square-foot mansion. The property was sold by Epstein's estate in 2023, with proceeds going to creditors.
• While Epstein never faced charges in New Mexico, the state attorney general's office in 2019 confirmed that it was investigating and had interviewed possible victims who visited the ranch. One concern to be investigated in a new probe is that New Mexico laws allowed Epstein to avoid registering locally as a sex offender long after he was required to register in Florida, following a conviction in that state.
• Results are at least two years away. To move forward with a commission, approval first is needed from the state House when the Legislature convenes in January to create a bipartisan oversight committee of four legislators, said Democratic state Rep. Marianna Anaya, a co-sponsor of the initiative.