New Mexico lawmakers have launched an investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s former Zorro Ranch over allegations of sexual abuse that took place on the rural property and concerns that the alleged crimes were never fully investigated by federal and state authorities.

The state House of Representatives on Monday unanimously approved legislation creating a bipartisan “truth commission” that will review allegations of abuse that took place at the Santa Fe-area property while it was owned by the late sex offender.

The goal of the investigation, Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) said in a video address Monday, is “to understand why crimes that were reported to federal and state authorities were never fully investigated and to ensure that we have safeguards not only to hold accountable the people who were complicit, but to ensure that this never happens again in our state.”

Rancho San Rafael, previously owned by Jeffrey Epstein and called Rancho Zorro, is seen on January 31 near Stanley, New Mexico.
Rancho San Rafael, previously owned by Jeffrey Epstein and called Rancho Zorro, is seen on January 31 near Stanley, New Mexico.

via News

The committee is due to submit an interim report on its findings by the end of July and a final report by the end of the year. This final report will detail “the investigative procedures conducted by the committee, the findings and conclusions the committee reached in carrying out those procedures, and the committee’s recommendations,” according to a copy of the resolution.

Epstein owned the sprawling property from 1993 until his death in 2019. It was then purchased in 2023 by Texas businessman and former Republican state senator Donald Huffines, who is currently running for comptroller in Texas, a spokesperson for his family confirmed to the Santa Fe New Mexican. Huffines, who bills himself as “a brave MAGA Republican,” never visited the property before his purchase, the spokesman said.

Several civil lawsuits have accused Epstein of sexually assaulting girls at the property during his ownership, although he was never charged in connection with those allegations. Survivors reportedly include the late Virginia Giuffre, who provided photographs she claimed were taken of herself at the ranch in a 2015 court document.

Stansbury called Huffines’ purchase of the property “interesting” because he used a limited liability company to complete the sale, allowing him to complete the purchase anonymously. He also identified Huffines’ son as a Trump administration worker.

Representatives for Huffines did not immediately respond to News themezone’s requests for comment on Tuesday.

“Now, we don’t know if these links mean anything, but what we do know is that this property is a property where multiple survivors have reported abuse,” Stansbury said, while detailing some of the allegations, including that two women were murdered and buried on the property following a sex act.

New Mexico Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard last week asked federal and state authorities to investigate public lands surrounding Epstein’s former property following claims of buried bodies.

“I was horrified when I discovered something new, especially when I learned that state lands could have been used, could have been involved in some of these monstrous activities,” Richard told Albuquerque station KRQE.

The New Mexico Department of Justice, responding to Richard in a letter obtained by KRQE, called the agency’s allegations “baseless” and said more information is needed before it can determine whether any further action is warranted.