U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) on Thursday joined other members of New Mexico’s federal delegation in calling for a thorough investigation of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s former property in Santa Fe County.
Luján on Wednesday signed onto a letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office seeking an independent audit of how U.S. Department of Justice officials made redactions to publicly released documents related to Epstein. On Thursday, he announced he had reviewed unredacted DOJ files on Epstein.
“Today made one thing very clear: horrific and disturbing acts occurred on the Zorro Ranch property near Stanley, New Mexico, and more investigations must be conducted to deliver the full truth and long-overdue justice for Epstein’s victims,” he said in a written statement.
While the federal government is subjecting publicly released files to redactions, the Office of the Attorney General in January wrote that members of Congress could view the unredacted files upon request.
In a social media video posted Thursday afternoon, Luján commended state lawmakers for forming a “truth commission” to investigate Epstein’s time in New Mexico. The commission, which has a $2 million budget, aims to produce at least two reports this year to “fill in the gaps” of what’s known about Zorro Ranch, the 7,500-acre property Epstein bought from former New Mexico Gov. Bruce King in the 1990s. Don Huffines, a former Texas state senator seeking office as state comptroller, now owns the property and has announced plans to “remake it as a Christian retreat, reclaiming it for Jesus.”
The New Mexico Department of Justice on Monday searched the property — including the on-site buildings — on Monday, but has not disclosed what evidence, if any, its investigators collected.
Luján played a role in passing the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which says federal officials can only redact information in the Epstein files that would identify victims or jeopardize national security. In his social media post, Luján said he believes the Trump administration is running afoul of that law by applying broader redactions and withholding some documents from public disclosure.
“It’s clear President Trump’s breaking the law,” he said. “The Department of Justice is not following the law…because they’re not releasing the documents.”
